The First Line of Defense in Workplace Chemical Safety
Chemical container labels are the most direct, most immediate means of communicating chemical hazards to the workers who use them. Whether you’re a manufacturer, importer, distributor, or end-user of hazardous chemicals, it’s absolutely critical that you fully understand your GHS labeling requirements to not only ensure compliance with applicable regulations but to safeguard your employees and your workplace.
Shipped/Supplier Labels vs. Workplace/Secondary Labels
There are two types of GHS labels; shipped container labels sometimes referred to as supplier labels, and workplace container labels otherwise known as secondary labels.
Shipped/Supplier Labels
If you are a supplier (manufacturer, distributor or importer) who ships hazardous chemicals to downstream customers, you need to create shipped labels and affix them to the immediate containers of those chemicals prior to being transported. In general, there are six label elements that all chemical suppliers must include on GHS shipped container labels. These six elements are:
- Supplier Identification
- Product Identification
- Signal Word
- Hazard Statements
- Hazard Pictograms
- Precautionary Statements
You may also be required to include supplemental information on the shipped/supplier label, and may need to furnish labels in specific languages or in multiple languages. For example, Canada’s WHMIS and Hazardous Products Regulations (HPR) require suppliers to provide labels in both English and French translations. Be sure to consult applicable regulations (OSHA HazCom, WHMIS, EU CLP, etc.) to determine what GHS elements and other hazard information must be present on your shipped/supplier container labels.
Workplace/ Secondary Container Labels
Secondary/workplace containers are defined as any containers used to transfer hazardous chemicals from their original shipped/supplier container for subsequent use in the workplace. GHS requirements for the secondary/workplace container labels are less prescriptive than those for shipped container labels, and specific requirements may differ substantially from country to country.
For example, US OSHA’s HazCom Standard (HazCom 2012) states that workplace/secondary labels must either replicate the information on the shipped container label or contain some combination of GHS label elements that effectively provides employees with the specific information regarding the physical and health hazards of hazardous chemicals in the workplace.
Smart Labeling Solutions
VelocityEHS Chemical Management gives you the ability easily design and print GHS chemical container labels—helping you to simplify compliance and ensure your workers have immediate access to clear, accurate chemical hazard and safety information. Our intuitive labeling interface lets you select the desired label elements directly from the corresponding product SDS, then instantly generate GHS labels in multiple pre-built and custom label formats to accommodate the full range of container sizes and types throughout your workplace.
VelocityEHS Chemical Management features seamless integration with the leading chemical container labeling solution providers including Avery, Brady and Graphic Products, giving you the most versatile and user-friendly container labeling capabilities available. Once you’ve designed and formatted your container labels, you can instantly print them directly within your VelocityEHS Chemical Management account, saving you time and money.