Another GHS question...

[lab-woman]

Another GHS question. My head teacher has told me that WESTLAB sell labels for our chemical bottles. Im pretty sure they only sell the small pictogram stickers. Does anyone know any different?

Also this may be a very dumb question, do we need to re label every chemical in the store room or only the ones that are toxic, corrosive, dangerous when wet etc.

I printed out my first label yesterday from chemwatch for copper chloride...I couldnt find one that fit the container properly. Looks terrible.
Soo over this already. I know some labbies know how to edit their labels etc, I tried to do it but wasnt happening for me.

[Labbie]

ALL CHEMICALS

[superbug]

I only did the hazardous/dangerous ones. My HOD was happy with this.

[rae]

I'm pretty sure it is only dangerous or hazardous chemicals too.

This is from the ASSIST site.

Under the WHS Regulations, schools have a responsibility to ensure that any hazardous chemical that is used, handled or stored at the workplace is correctly labelled in accordance with Schedule 9 of the WHS Regulations. (Section 1.3)

https://assist.asta.edu.au/sites/assist ... micals.pdf

[Labbie]

Take starch for example, It still needs its GHS codes etc, so it is all chemicals. Your R and H numbers do mean something.

H 316 is on starch

[Merilyn1]

The labels that Westlab sell are just the pictograms. GHS relates to hazardous chemicals. The SDS from the manufacturer will tell you if it is hazardous or not.

[trish armstrong]

Type in www.safework.nsw.gov.au
Type in 'GHS what you need to know factsheet' in the search bar
on page 4 it says existing chemicals that you intend to keep past 31/12/2016 do not need to be relabelled.
This in for NSW.
So I am only relabeling dropper bottles and decanted bottles.
Regards Trish

[Labbie]

OK I understand all this, but if we are told in the CSIS which is our law, and the WHS which is our law, GHS which is our law, I really do wish one of the _______________________________ companys would issue all chemicals or only a few.

The CSIS states all chemicals must be covered with the correct labels dots and warning signs etc.
The WHS state only haz or dangerous chemicals.
It's crazy, which is it, all or only a few?????????????

[curie]

Interesting! I have printout from the powers that be (the first evidence they knew anything about it) that appears to be the same document, and it says all bottles have to be relabelled! Perhaps safe work Australia can shed some light on this.

[Merilyn1]

Type in http://www.safework.nsw.gov.au
Type in 'GHS what you need to know factsheet' in the search bar
on page 4 it says existing chemicals that you intend to keep past 31/12/2016 do not need to be relabelled.
This in for NSW.
So I am only relabeling dropper bottles and decanted bottles.
Regards Trish

Hi Trish, I've actually emailed NSW Workcover about this document as it contradicts other information in a brochure they have also released titled "Are you GHS ready?". This states: "Assess your readiness by checking your labels and stock and decide whether to keep and re-label, safely dispose of, or sell your chemicals."

I'm still waiting on a response from Workcover about this. Science Assist says in NSW we should relabel existing chemicals. The safety course I went to recently with Riskassess people also said to relabel. There is so much conflicting information out there it does drive me round the bend. I was sent to the training days, so I am going on that information as I have not been given anything else to work on. I'm going to just do what I am told.

Labbie - you should check with your health and safety people to get clear advice. We don't get paid enough to figure it out ourselves.

[trish armstrong]

Hi, Merilyn,
I rang them and discussed the issue with a lovely lady from safe work NSW and she told me that I don't have to relabel any stock chemicals purchased before jan2017. Because I have dated all the chemical bottles to prove they were purchased before Jan 2017. I asked for written evidence and this is the document I was given. I have relabelled decanted and dropper bottles and reprinted GHS SDS.
Until I hear from Dec, I will follow safe work NSW advise.
Cheers Trish

[Merilyn1]

I guess we stayed tuned.
Like I said earlier, I have had no advice from the people in our system who should be helping us. Even after asking for help, I still don't get anything. Worse still, they don't reply to my emails. So when they forwarded on the details about the safety training course, I took it they endorse the contents and decided to go along and follow the instructions from that even if I hear conflicting advice. Having said that, I am leaving the purchased chemicals until last!

It is an appalling state of affairs that no one seems to care about what we should be doing.

[Whspa]

My HT has just told me that she was told at a CNI meeting that Westlab sell the GHS chemical labels.
I can't find them anywhere on the Westlab site, so she's asking for the link.

[Merilyn1]

I found them in their printed catalogue, but they're called "dangerous goods stickers". Two sizes 20x20mm and 50x50mm.
Just looked onw ebsite - do a search for "GHS label"

[lab-woman]

Hi everyone,

I decided to just email Phil Crisp from RiskAssess and ask him the question and here is his answer:

Chemicals in storage do not need to have their labels changed. However, as soon as the bottle is brought into use, it must be labelled according to GHS.

Chemicals in storage that are not "dangerous goods" and chemicals in use that are not "hazardous chemicals" do not need to be labelled. These chemicals include sodium chloride and magnesium sulfate.

The labelling program will be available mid-year.

I hope that helps!
Regards

Phillip

I wonder if the DEC even know that we are all struggling with this stuff...
So many of us are told such different things

[ELIZABETH]

This topic is sure getting tricky!!

By "brought into use" does he mean the minute it's out of the storeroom to be used......? If that's the case, then it needs to re-labelled, doesn't it, because if it's in the store and never comes out it means we don't use it, which means it doesn't need to be re-labelled.....my head hurts.

I might just re-label only half my stuff!!

[Labbie]

My head hurts tooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

[Merilyn1]

This topic is sure getting tricky!!

By "brought into use" does he mean the minute it's out of the storeroom to be used......? If that's the case, then it needs to re-labelled, doesn't it, because if it's in the store and never comes out it means we don't use it, which means it doesn't need to be re-labelled.....my head hurts.

I might just re-label only half my stuff!!

You're right Elizabeth - in storage it is DG, but as soon as it is taken out of the room, it needs to be labelled with GHS. If it never comes out of the storeroom, it means you never use it so consideration must be given to it being disposed of.
To make your head hurt some more, hazardous chemicals cannot have both the DG diamond and the GHS pictogram. It seems we should be able to get away with the DG code being on the container to assist with remembering where it is stored in the chem store, but not the diamond.

Please remember that these are NSW requirements, other states may have different requirements.

[AnnNos]

I thought that the dangerous goods diamonds stayed (black outline) and the new GHS diamonds (red outline) were added.

[linotas]

We discussed this at length in the Risk Assess PD I was at a couple of weeks ago. The letter of the new law states (or Worksafe's interpretation of it in our state) that as soon as it it out of the store room, it has to be GHS compliant. So if you were bringing a chemical out to weigh some to make a working solution, then technically you would have to relabel the original container. However, due to nothing other then GHS label requirements being allowed to be on the bottle, this would mean taking off the original manufacturers label (or covering it completely) and relabelling. To me this is fraught with danger of mislabelling and I for one would be willing to stand up in a court of law and argue such.

At the end of the day, we are lumped into to the same requirements as industry handling 1000's of kg of hazardous chemicals. I would bet my first born that, if I take a non compliant, original, pre 2017, manufacturer's labeled chemical out of my chem store and weigh out some and place it straight back into storage, no-one is going to chose that precise moment to come into my prep room, stop me from my work and charge me under the legislation for possessing a mislabeled chemical. If you are worried this will happen, put a weigh balance in your chem store and weigh out in there (although I think this is going way over the top myself)

Law is all based on the interpretation of what a "reasonable" person would do/act/think. I think some people are looking at it in to much of a black and white manner. At the end of the day, label your decanted chemicals correctly as per GHS guidelines and only accept compliant chemicals after Jan 2017.