GHS stands for the Globally Harmonized Program of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals. In similar fashion to WHMIS or OSHA, the GHS outlines specific environmental and health hazards for chemical classification. The GHS offers a universal system to classify substances and chemical mixtures.
Wellness hazards are divided into ten classes. These classes are acute toxicity, skin corrosion, skin irritation, eye effects, sensitization, germ cell mutagenicity, carcinogenicity, reproductive toxicity, target organ system toxicity (single exposure and repeated exposure), and aspiration toxicity. Every class, with the exception of sensitization, is further divided into categories to demonstrate the severity of the hazard in question. As an example, in terms of classification for eye effects, a Category 1 would stand for serious eye damage and a Category two would apply to an eye irritant.
Consequently, lower categories are less hazardous than the very first one. The categories concerning skin corrosion, germ cell mutagenicity, carcinogenicity, and reproductive toxicity are further broken into subcategories to describe the degree of the hazard in a lot more detail. Every class listed has certain criteria that a chemical ought to fulfill in order to be classified as such.
The environmental hazards outlined in the GHS are employed to make evident the aquatic toxicity that a product might pose towards the environment. These hazards are divided into two sections: acute aquatic toxicity and chronic aquatic toxicity. Acute aquatic toxicity is assigned to a substance or mixture on the basis of the LC50 (fish), EC50 (crustacea) or ErC50 (for algae or other aquatic plants) values.
Chronic aquatic toxicity is also determined by these values, as well as degradation and/or bioaccumulation.
Any chemical or mixture can be classified under much more than 1 of these categories and may pose both a wellness and environmental hazard. In order to decide the current GHS classification, existing classification systems had been analyzed, which includes the scientific basis for their systems and the criteria they use. This is why some classifications under the GHS might be comparable to those in other regulations. Nevertheless, because of the strict criteria utilised for classification, it is essential that a skilled classifies any products in question in order to make sure a appropriate result.