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The Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS)

The implementation of the Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) in the European Union (EU) impacts on the workplace regulations that provide for classification and labelling of chemicals in Australia. In particular, chemicals that are classified and labelled in accordance with EU requirements may now need to be reclassified and relabelled, to ensure existing hazardous substances and dangerous goods regulations are met.

To address this concern, on 25 June 2010 the Dangerous Goods Safety Management Regulation 2001 and the Workplace Health and Safety Regulation 2008 were amended to provide for recognition of the GHS to all chemical products that are being imported, prepared for export, or manufactured in Queensland as an alternative option to compliance with current legislation.

This change aligns Queensland regulations with other jurisdictions and will relieve importers, manufacturers and suppliers using GHS of the costs of relabelling products to meet current legislative requirements.

This means that any hazardous chemical classified and labelled according to the GHS is deemed compliant with the current hazardous substance classification requirements of:

• the Approved Criteria for Classifying Hazardous Substances, and
• the labelling requirements in the National Code of Practice for the Labelling of Workplace Substances.

Suppliers must still provide a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) compliant with the National Code of Practice for the Preparation of Material Safety Data Sheets, but the GHS classification is acceptable to include in the MSDS.