The GHS provides such a standardized approach, including detailed criteria for determining what hazardous effects a chemical poses, as well as standardized label elements assigned by hazard class and category. While the available information has been helpful in improving employee safety and health, a more standardized approach to classifying the hazards and conveying the information will be more effective, and provide further improvements in American workplaces.

The original standard is performance-oriented, allowing chemical manufacturers and importers to convey information on labels and material safety data sheets in whatever format they choose. Since it was first promulgated in 1983, the HCS has provided employers and employees extensive information about the chemicals in their workplaces. OSHA has modified the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) to adopt the GHS to improve safety and health of workers through more effective communications on chemical hazards. These recommendations can be used by regulatory authorities such as OSHA to establish mandatory requirements for hazard communication, but do not constitute a model regulation.Ī. A standardized order of information for safety data sheets is also provided. It also includes standardized label elements that are assigned to these hazard classes and categories, and provide the appropriate signal words, pictograms, and hazard and precautionary statements to convey the hazards to users. This document provides harmonized classification criteria for health, physical, and environmental hazards of chemicals. The result of this negotiation process is the United Nations' document entitled 'Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals,' commonly referred to as The Purple Book.

It is based on major existing systems around the world, including OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard and the chemical classification and labeling systems of other US agencies. The GHS was negotiated in a multi-year process by hazard communication experts from many different countries, international organizations, and stakeholder groups.

The Globally Harmonized System (GHS) is an international approach to hazard communication, providing agreed criteria for classification of chemical hazards, and a standardized approach to label elements and safety data sheets.

Two signal words on label