GHS is the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals, published by the United Nations. It sets common criteria for deciding a chemical's hazards and a common way of showing them on labels and safety data sheets.
GHS is not a law in itself. Each country writes it into its own law and chooses which parts to adopt, so a label that is correct in one market may need changes for another.
What a GHS label contains
- A product identifier that matches the safety data sheet.
- Hazard pictograms: a black symbol inside a red-bordered diamond. GHS has nine, covering hazards such as flammability, toxicity, corrosion and environmental harm.
- A signal word: Danger for the more severe hazards, Warning for the less severe.
- Hazard statements describing the hazard, such as causes severe skin burns.
- Precautionary statements on prevention, response, storage and disposal.
- The supplier's name, address and telephone number.
Why labels still differ by country
The UN updates GHS every two years, and countries adopt different revisions at different times. They also pick different building blocks. One country may include a hazard category that another leaves out, so the same chemical can carry one pictogram in one market and none in another.
In the EU, GHS is applied through the CLP Regulation, explained in what CLP labelling requires. The US applies it to workplace chemicals through OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard. Other markets have their own rules on language, supplier details and format.
Supply labels and transport labels
A drum of hazardous chemical usually carries two sets of marks. The GHS supply label informs the user. Transport marks, based on the UN dangerous goods rules, inform the people moving the cargo. These include the UN number, the proper shipping name and the transport hazard label for the IMDG class.
Transport labels look similar to GHS pictograms but they are a separate system. Some rules allow a GHS pictogram to be left off where a transport label shows the same hazard. Check this with your regulator or forwarder rather than assuming.
What to agree with your supplier
- The classification you have confirmed for your market, in writing, matched to section 2 of the SDS.
- The label text in the correct language or languages, approved by you before printing.
- The label size and position, so it fits the drum, bag or IBC and stays readable after transit.
- Durable printing that survives sea transport, damp and handling.
- A named person at the factory who checks each batch of labels against the approved version before they go on the packages.
Next step
The importer in each market is responsible for the label being correct, so confirm classification with a regulatory adviser. We then check that what is printed on the packages matches what you approved. To start, book a free sourcing review.