 Hello, and welcome to Safe Work Australia's webinar about the transition from the third to the seventh revised edition of the GHS, also known as a globally harmonized system of classification and labeling of chemicals. My name's Colin Stenson, and I'll be talking you through the transition today. Firstly, I'm going to explain what the GHS is, why it's changing, and what that means for businesses that manufacture, import, supply, or use hazardous chemicals. Secondly, I'll describe the arrangements in place for a smooth transition to GHS7. This includes when you can start using GHS7 and when you need to stop using GHS3. Lastly, I'm going to detail about what's changing. For example, what are the new requirements for flammable gases and what are the changes to classifying irritants? The video is time-stamped, so you can navigate directly to the topics that interest you. You can find the time stamps in the description below this video. So, what is the GHS? The GHS is an international system for assessing chemicals and communicating their hazards. It contains criteria for determining if a chemical is toxic, flammable, if it causes cancer, or if it has anyone of a host of other hazards. And it sets out the rules for making labels and safety data sheets for these chemicals. These rules aren't just used in Australia, they're used by most of our trading partners as well. This includes the United States, Canada, the European Union, China, New Zealand, Japan, and a host of others. In Australia, all hazardous chemicals need to have safety data sheets prepared in accordance with the GHS. GHS labelling is required for hazardous chemicals which will be used in a workplace and which are not already covered by another labelling law, like the laws for medicines. The GHS is designed to give users easy to understand information about the hazards of the chemicals they work with so they can take steps to protect themselves. So, now that we know what the GHS is and what it's used for, why are we moving from GHS 3 to GHS 7? Adopting GHS 7 will help keep Australia up to date with best practice in chemicals management. This new addition of the GHS relies less on animal testing and improves the way we communicate the risks of chemicals. It also means our laws will be consistent with those of our key trading partners which should reduce the cost of importing and exporting chemicals. For more information about the GHS, please visit the Safe Work Australia website. The transition to GHS 7 is happening over two years. It started on 1 January 2021 and it will end on 30 December 2022. The transition is mainly for manufacturers and porters of chemicals. It gives them time to prepare new classifications, labels and safety data sheets for their chemicals. During the transition, manufacturers and porters can use either GHS 3 or GHS 7. From 1 January 2023, only GHS 7 can be used. If you manufacture or import chemicals, it's a good idea to begin reviewing and updating your classifications, labels and safety data sheets now. Where possible, consider incorporating this into a planned review of labels and safety data sheets to help lower costs and avoid unnecessary reprinting. If you only supply or use hazardous chemicals, you shouldn't be affected by the Merb to GHS 7 and shouldn't need to take any action. You can continue to supply and use chemicals classified and labeled in accordance with GHS 3 until your stops run out. Keep in mind, however, the all chemicals manufactured or imported from 1 January 2023 will need to comply with GHS 7. So if you're buying or selling chemicals that were made or imported after 1 January 2023, they should be labeled in accordance with GHS 7. Safer Australia has developed guidance material and resources to help you navigate the transition. Have a look at our website for more information. There are three key changes to be aware of during the transition from GHS 3 to GHS 7. Firstly, there are changes to the classification and labeling requirements for some types of chemicals. These chemicals are non-flammable aerosols, flammable gases, desensitized explosives and eye irritants. If you manufacture or import these chemicals, you'll need to review the classifications and ensure that their labels and safety data sheets are updated. If you supply or use these chemicals, you should expect to see updated labels and safety data sheets in the supply chain over the next two years. I will go through the changes to these hazard classes in more detail later in this webinar. Please remember that you can jump to the topics that interest you below. Secondly, there are changes to the precautionary statements found on the labels of hazardous chemicals. Precautionary statements are written on labels and describe how to work safely with the chemical. Many of the precautionary statements in the GHS have been updated to be more accurate or easier to understand. Manufacturers and importers will need to check the precautionary statements for their products to see if they need to be updated. Keep in mind that you'll still be able to use the precautionary statements from GHS-3 in most cases. You only need to use the GHS-7 precautionary statements if they are substantially different or completely new. An example is shown on the screen and more information is available on our website. The third change is improvements to the guidance in the GHS. This includes improved decision logics and expanded advice on non-animal test methods. I won't go through those changes here, but it is worth referring to the new guidance in GHS-7 if you are classifying hazardous chemicals as many issues and common questions have been addressed. For the remainder of this webinar, I'll be discussing the changes to classification criteria in more detail. Please use the time stamps below to cut directly to those chemicals that interest you. First, we'll discuss aerosols. GHS-7 renames the flammable aerosols as a class to aerosols and as a new hazard category for non-flammable aerosols. That's category three. Non-flammable aerosols are aerosols that don't meet the criteria for categories one and two, that contain less than or equal to 1% flammable components and that have a heat of combustion of less than 20 kilojoules per gram. This means that all aerosol dispensers will now be captured in the aerosol hazard class and will meet the definition of a hazardous chemical under the model work health and safety laws. Any non-flammable aerosols that were previously classified as gases under pressure should now be classified as non-flammable aerosols. Non-flammable aerosols need the warning signal word and the hazard statement pressurized container may burst if heated. Category one and two aerosols, which is to say flammable aerosols, are not affected by this change and the labels for these chemicals do not need to be updated. If you manufacture or import non-flammable aerosols, you need to review the classification criteria in GHS7 and prepare updated labels and safety data sheets for these products. More information about the changes is available on our website. Moving on to flammable gases. You'll find that the classification requirements for flammable gases change significantly with the move from GHS3 to GHS7. We have a comparison of the old and new flammable gas criteria up on the screen now. I'll step you through these changes over the next few minutes. Under GHS3, there was only one flammable gas category used in Australia. That was category one. However, under GHS7, this category has to be divided into two new categories. Category 1A and Category 1B. There are also new hazard categories for pyrophoric gases and chemically unstable gases. While the existing category 1 is roughly equivalent to the new category 1A, the extent of these changes means that many flammable gases will need to be reclassified and have new labels and safety data sheets prepared. So let's run through the classification hazard communication requirements for these new categories in a bit more detail. A category 1A flammable gas is a gas which at standard temperature and pressure of 20 degrees celsius and 101.3 kilopascals is ignitable at 13% or less in air or has a flammable range in air of at least 12% regardless of the lower flammability limit. A category 1B is a gas which meets the flammability criteria for category 1A but which is not pyrophoric or chemically unstable and has either a lower flammability limit of more than 6% or a fundamental burning velocity of less than 10 centimeters per second. A pyrophoric gas is a flammable gas that is liable to ignite spontaneously in air at a temperature of 54 degrees celsius or below. While a chemically unstable gas is a flammable gas that can react explosively in the absence of air or oxygen, pyrophoric gases and chemically unstable gases were previously classified as category 1 flammable gases in Australia. The new classification requirements for pyrophoric gases and chemically unstable gases means that these chemicals now have their own hazard categories and will need to be reclassified. The new flammable gas categories 1A and 1B replace the old flammable gas category 1 meaning the category 1 flammable gases must be reclassified into either category 1A or category 1B. By default existing category 1 flammable gases should be classified into the new category 1A unless data is available that says otherwise. There has a communication requirements for the new category 1A are the same as the old category 1. All flammable gases require the flame pictogram and the signal word danger. That has the statements vary depending on the specific hazard category and are shown on the screen now. If you manufacture or import flammable gases you need to review the classification criteria in GHS7 and prepare updated labels and safety data sheets for these products. Remember that more information about these changes is available on our website. Our next topic is desensitized explosives which is a new hazard class. All desensitized explosives must be classified into the desensitized explosives hazard class even if they are previously classified into other hazard classes such as flammable solids or oxidizing solids. Desensitized explosives can be solids or liquids and are classified into one of four categories depending on their burning rate. As desensitized explosives are not part of the explosives hazard class they should be labeled in accordance with the GHS when used, handled or stored in a workplace. This differs from chemicals in the explosives hazard class which are labeled according to the Australian explosives code. All desensitized explosives need the flame pictogram. Desensitized explosives of category one or two will need the signal word danger while desensitized explosives of category three or four need the signal word warning. The hazard statements for desensitized explosives are displayed on the screen now. If you manufacture or import desensitized explosives you'll need to ensure these products are classified, labeled and have safety data sheets prepared in accordance with GHS7. More information about these changes is available in the fact sheets on our website. The final hazard class that we'll discuss today is irritants. As part of Australia's transition to GHS7 the definition of a hazardous chemical in our model work health and safety laws is changing. Category 2B irritants will no longer be exempt from the definition of a hazardous chemical and will require labels and safety data sheets. We understand that this will be a big change for some businesses which is why it's been included in the two-year transition. From 1 January 2023 all category two irritants should be treated as hazardous chemicals and have correct labels and safety data sheets. So what are the criteria for category 2B irritants? Essentially an irritant is a chemical which causes reversible damage to the eyes. A category 2B irritant causes damage that will reverse within seven days while a category two or two-way irritant causes damage that reverses within 21 days. Note that the classification of irritants in a category 2B is optional because the criteria for category 2B and category 2 2A overlap you can still classify these chemicals into category 2 2A. The labeling elements for category 2 2A irritation are unchanged while category 2B irritants have their own labeling requirements which is shown on the screen. Manufacturers and porters of hazardous chemicals should review their classifications for irritants to determine if the classification for any of their products has changed. Manufacturers and porters who are not currently preparing GHS labels and safety data sheets for category 2B irritants must do so before the end of the transition. More information about these changes is available on our website. Thanks for watching. Before you go here are the key takeaway messages from today. Australia will begin a two-year transition to GHS7 on 1 January 2021 until 31 December 2022 with GHS3 and GHS7 can be used for classifying chemicals and preparing labels and safety data sheets. If you manufacture and port chemicals make sure that your classifications labels and safety data sheets are up to date by 31 December 2022. We have guidance material and resources to help you on our website. Contact the GHS mailbox if you have questions. That's ghs at swa.gov.au. That's all from me. Once again, thanks for watching.