Risk Management Services
Chemical Safety Update:
Globally Harmonized System (GHS)
!
www.doas.georgia.gov/risk
Risk Management Services
What is the GHS?
 A common and coherent approach to defining and
classifying hazards, and communicating
information on labels and safety data sheets.
 Target audiences include workers, consumers,
transport workers, and emergency responders.
 Provides the underlying infrastructure for
establishment of national, comprehensive chemical
safety programs.
www.doas.georgia.gov/risk
Risk Management Services
Why is the GHS needed?
 No country has the ability to identify and
specifically regulate every hazardous chemical
product.
 For example, in the United States, there are an
estimated 650,000 such products.
 Adoption of requirements for information to
accompany the product helps address protection
needs.
www.doas.georgia.gov/risk
Risk Management Services
Georgia Law for State Workers
 The “Public Employees Hazardous Chemicals
Protection and Right to Know Law” was passed in
1988.
 Georgia 300-3-19 is the governing law. The rules
of the law can be found at the GDOL website and
the Secretary of State website as well.
 The purpose of these rules, of course, is to ensure
that all Public employees understand their “Right
to Know” as it regards to hazardous chemicals in
the workplace.
www.doas.georgia.gov/risk
Risk Management Services
State Agency Responsibilities
 Section 300-19-02 requires Public Employers to
ensure that all Public employees are aware of the
Act, the regulations, and their responsibilities.
Typically this means having a written Hazardous
Chemical Communication Program or Hazard
Communication Plan.
 A Hazardous Chemical Protection Communication
Coordinator or “Right to Know Coordinator” must
be designated within the agency.
 The “Right to Know Coordinator” will be provided
with the proper authority to carry out the duties of
the assigned position.
www.doas.georgia.gov/risk
Risk Management Services
Public Employee Hazardous Chemicals
Protection and Right to Know Law:






Administration of the law (300-3-19.02)
Training (300-3-19.03)
Contractors’ Responsibilities (300-3-19.04)
Employee Grievance/Complaints (300-3-19.05)
Exemptions (300-3-19.06)
Monitoring of the law (300-3-19.07)
www.doas.georgia.gov/risk
Risk Management Services
Administration (300-3-19.02)
 The GA Department of Labor (GDOL) Safety
Engineering Division shall, as required
under the Act, ensure compliance with all
training programs required under the law.
 GDOL must provide written approval of all
agency training programs required under
the law.
 GDOL must also provide written approval of
the Hazard Communication Plan.
www.doas.georgia.gov/risk
Risk Management Services
Written Program
 Shall contain how the following will be met:
 Labeling practices
 Other forms of warning
 Safety data sheets
 Information and training
 List of chemicals
www.doas.georgia.gov/risk
Risk Management Services
Training (300-3-19.03)
 Each employee shall be provided with training
as required by the Act at the time of initial
assignment to a workplace.
 Re-training must occur at least annually.
 Department of Labor will verify annual Right to
Know training.
 A written training log must be kept for three
years.
www.doas.georgia.gov/risk
Risk Management Services
Definitions
 “Chemical”
 Any element, chemical
compound or mixture of elements
and/or compounds.
 “Hazardous chemical”
 Any chemical which is a physical
hazard or a health hazard.
www.doas.georgia.gov/risk
Risk Management Services
Definitions
 “Physical hazard”
 A chemical for which there is scientifically valid
evidence that it is a combustible liquid, a
compressed gas, explosive, flammable, organic
peroxide, oxidizer, pyrophoric, unstable,
reactive or water-reactive.
www.doas.georgia.gov/risk
Risk Management Services
Definitions
 “Health hazard”
 A chemical for which there is
statistically significant evidence,
based on at least one study
conducted in accordance with
established scientific principles,
that acute or chronic health effects
may occur in exposed employees.
www.doas.georgia.gov/risk
Risk Management Services
Definitions
 “Label” means any written,
printed or graphic material
displayed on or affixed to
containers of hazardous
chemicals.
www.doas.georgia.gov/risk
Risk Management Services
Labels: Shipping
Shipping Container Label
(55 gallon/200 liter drum)
Effective June 1, 2015 all
shipping labels will be
required to have all GHS
label elements.
Pictograms within
DOT label
DOT Shipping
Flammable liquids,
toxic, n.o.s.
(contains XYZ)
UN 1992
www.doas.georgia.gov/risk
Transport "Pictograms"
Flammable Liquid Flammable Gas
Flammable Aerosol
Flammable solid Self-Reactive
Substances
Pyrophorics (Spontaneously
Combustible) Self-Heating Substances
Substances, which in contact with water,
emit flammable gases (Dangerous When
Wet)
Oxidizing Gases Oxidizing Liquids
Oxidizing Solids
Explosive Divisions 1.1, 1.2, 1.3
Explosive Division 1.4
Explosive Division 1.5
Explosive Division 1.6
Compressed Gases
Acute Toxicity (Poison): Oral, Dermal,
Inhalation
Corrosive
Marine Pollutant
Organic Peroxides
Risk Management Services
Department of Transportation (DOT) Labels
 DOT labels may take precedence over similar GHS
pictograms for shipping containers.
 DOT does not have labels that correspond to the
“Health Hazard” or the “Acute Toxicity”
(less severe = exclamation mark).
www.doas.georgia.gov/risk
Risk Management Services
Labels: Pictograms
 There are 9 pictograms
 Health Hazards
 Physical Hazards
 Environmental Hazards
www.doas.georgia.gov/risk
Risk Management Services
Labels: Pictograms – Health Hazards
Acute toxicity (Severe)
Acute = short-term effect
Acute toxicity (Less Severe):
Irritant
Dermal sensitizer
Acute toxicity (harmful)
Narcotic effects
Respiratory tract irritation
www.doas.georgia.gov/risk
Risk Management Services
Labels: Pictograms – Health Hazards (cont.)
Skin corrosion
Serious eye damage/
Eye irritation
Carcinogen
Respiratory sensitizer
Reproductive toxicity
Target organ toxicity
Mutagenicity
Aspiration Hazard
www.doas.georgia.gov/risk
Risk Management Services
Labels: Pictograms – Physical Hazards
Explosives
Self reactive
materials
Organic peroxides
Flammables
Self reactives
Pyrophorics
Self heating
Emits flammable gas
Organic peroxides
www.doas.georgia.gov/risk
Risk Management Services
Labels: Pictograms – Physical Hazards (cont.)
Corrosive to Metals
Oxidizer
Gases under Pressure
www.doas.georgia.gov/risk
Risk Management Services
Labels: Signal Words
These are words used to indicate the severity of
the hazard and alert employees to the potential
hazard.
Only 2 signal words will appear:
 “DANGER”(more severe hazard)
 “WARNING” (less severe hazard)
Not all labels will have a signal word. Some
chemicals are not hazardous enough to require
that a signal word appear on the label.
www.doas.georgia.gov/risk
Risk Management Services
GHS Hazard Communication - Pictograms
www.doas.georgia.gov/risk
Risk Management Services
 Exemptions for labeling under OSHA
 Pesticides (Federal insecticide, fungicide, and rodenticide Act 7 U.S.C. 136)
 Food, food additive, color additive (FDA 21 U.S.C. 301)
 Cosmetic, medical or vet device (FDA 21 U.S.C. 301)
 Distilled spirits (Federal Alcohol Administration Act 21 U.S.C. 201)
 Consumer products (Consumer Product Safety Act 15 U.S.C. 2501)
 Agricultural or vegetable seed (Federal Seed Act 7 U.S.C. 1551)
www.doas.georgia.gov/risk
Risk Management Services
Definitions
 “Safety Data Sheet”
 Written or printed material
concerning a hazardous
chemical which is
prepared in accordance
with the standard.
www.doas.georgia.gov/risk
Risk Management Services
Safety Data Sheets (SDS)
 SDS access for employees
 Readily accessible, and
 During work shift
 Electronic and other alternatives are acceptable
 No barriers to immediate employee access
 When employees travel
 May be kept at primary workplace
www.doas.georgia.gov/risk
Risk Management Services
SDS Format:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
16 headings
Identification
Hazard(s) identification
Composition/information on ingredients
First-aid measures
Fire-fighting measures
Accidental release measures
Handling and storage
Exposure control/personal protection
www.doas.georgia.gov/risk
Risk Management Services
SDS Format: 16 headings (cont.)
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
Physical and chemical properties
Stability and reactivity
Toxicological information
Ecological information
Disposal considerations
Transport information
Regulatory information
Other information
www.doas.georgia.gov/risk
Risk Management Services
Contractors (300-3-19.04)
 It is the responsibility of independent
contractors working on State property to ensure
its contract employees are provided information
and trained on hazardous chemicals.
 Workplace Managers shall be notified at least
(30) thirty days prior to any hazardous chemical
work at a State site by an independent
contractor.
www.doas.georgia.gov/risk
Risk Management Services
Employee Grievance/Complaint
(300-3-19.05)
 Any grievance/complaint filed by a Public
employee alleging that the employee has been
adversely affected by a violation of the Act,
must first be processed through the
employer’s established grievance/complaint
procedure.
www.doas.georgia.gov/risk
Risk Management Services
Exemptions (300-3-19.06)
 Students enrolled in educational institutions are not
required to receive hazardous chemical training, unless
employed by the institution either full or part-time.
 The law does not cover local, city, school systems or
private colleges or the employees of these institutions
including county governments.
 Publicly available cleaning and household products and
supplies and latex paints used in the same manner in
which a consumer would use them and on an irregular
basis are not covered by these regulations. Personnel
engaged in routine cleaning and painting operations are
covered.
www.doas.georgia.gov/risk
Risk Management Services
Monitoring (300-3-19.07)
 The Safety Engineering Division of the Georgia
Department of Labor will monitor public
employer compliance with the Act.
www.doas.georgia.gov/risk
Risk Management Services
State Agency
Reporting Requirements
 File the Name of your agency’s Right to Know
Coordinator with the GDOL Safety Engineering Division.
 Submit your Written Hazardous Communication Plan for
approval with the GDOL Safety Engineering
Communication Plan.
 File with the GDOL Safety Engineering a List of
Hazardous Chemicals used at your agency by January
1st and July 1st of each year.
 Provide a log of employees’ hazardous chemical training
conducted annually to the GDOL.
www.doas.georgia.gov/risk
Risk Management Services
Questions?
This PowerPoint is meant to supplement an existing Chemical
Safety Training Program. Another great source of information is
the BOR EHS website: http://www.usg.edu/ehs/training/rtkbasic/.
More information is available on the OSHA website.
Contact Information
Hiram S. Lagroon, BS
Chief Loss Control & Safety Officer
(404) 463-6309
Hiram.Lagroon@doas.ga.gov
Charles G. Lawrence, III, CSP, REM, ARM-P
Chief Loss Control & Safety Officer
(404) 657-4457
Charles.Lawrence@doas.ga.gov
www.doas.georgia.gov/risk