Australia's Science Forum

I don't earn enough to worry about this anymore. If the powers that be would give us a definitive directive then we could all get on with the job and until then I am NOT printing any labels.
Also if they were serious about this, then they should provide ALL the templates that they want us to use.
I don't have access to RA and that is not going to change, not that RA seems to be infallible either. We are being told lots of information but none of it appears to really solve our problems.

WHS Regulation Changes pending GHS Implements

I have just made a call to safe work and the person I spoke with told me that I MUST re-label everything by 2017 - just do it! so even their own staff do not know what to tell us..
I was told that I must be familiar with the document http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sit ... micals.pdf
which is 102 pages long - I should have a copy of it and ensure every label is compliant!
I have emailed CSO to ask for direction - I know that could take months for them to even consider it and then they will probably tell me to make my own decision.
So when did we get a pay rise and a classification change to cover us for reading and understanding legal documents?????? when did it become OUR JOB to make these decisions??

Good news. Riskassess now has an option to not print a full page of labels. Great idea, given the cost of the sticky labels.

Sunray I emailed our CSO last week and was told happy for us to use RiskAssess labels, I've kept a copy of the email. lol

Jazz are you able to email me a copy of the page you posted.
Mueller@oxley.nsw.edu.au

Thanks Lorrae

Quick Answer.....Phil Crisp is NOT our boss. He is not our employer. Has our "employer" told us to re label all of our chemicals????
The answer is NO.

GOOD ANSWER lab-woman, he is selling a proiduct and so will make sure we ""NEED"" that product..we have to follow workcover/safework not a person who has a vested interest..

Yes. Follow Worksafe (or equiv in your state) That is who will be called in for any potential incident. Personally if I was instructed to re-label an original container I would refuse and just chuck and reorder. There is so much room for error with catastrophic consequences. I personally refuse to take that risk. Luckily our local Work Safe documents state plainly that we do not need to retrospectively label original containers.

This arrived this morning

Which education sector are you in Macca ?

Who did it arrive from? Safework Australia? DEC?

From the link given by Macca from Safe Work Australia: http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sit ... h-25052016

"Users of hazardous chemicals are not required to relabel or dispose of existing stock.

It is okay to keep using, handling and storing hazardous chemicals labelled in accordance with a previous labelling code in your own workplace if the product was supplied to you before 1 January 2017.

From 1 January 2017, end-users should not accept new hazardous chemical products that are not GHS labelled, e.g. labelled in accordance with previous labelling codes.

If you are a manufacturer, importer or supplier of workplace hazardous chemicals, it’s important you:
•consider how the introduction of the GHS will impact your business, and
•review your business practices to ensure chemicals supplied to your clients are classified and labelled under the GHS."

Hi, was wondering if anyone knows anything or who to contact about the labelling process in Food Technology, we have been told all foods that enter a classroom needs to be labelled as I am in science I have no idea on Food Technologies procedures on CSIS can only see chemical, dyes and stains in the CSIS folder but nothing about food the lady in TAS is a bit scared as what to do so I am trying to help ease the process for her.

I just received this from our Safety Officer in CEO Sydney ....

"An agreement to amend the WHS legislation has now been reached. There is an update on SafeWork Australia’s website that mentions the conditions of a labelling exemption for end users, on the following pages:

1.http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sit ... h-25052016

2.http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sit ... pages/faqs

Users of hazardous chemicals are not required to relabel or dispose of existing stock.

End users of hazardous chemicals are not required to relabel or dispose of their existing hazardous chemicals.

End users of chemicals are still able to use, handle and store hazardous chemicals labelled in accordance with previous labelling code (for example, the NOHSC code) if the chemical was supplied to them before 1 January 2017.

End users of hazardous chemicals should NOT accept new hazardous chemicals labelled in accordance with previous systems from 1 January 2017.

As part of the transition to the GHS end users of hazardous chemicals are encouraged to:

•ensure safe systems of work are in place to manage the risks associated with hazardous chemicals in the workplace

•review their chemical inventory and dispose of chemicals which are out of date or no longer used, and

•talk to chemical suppliers to ensure GHS labelled stock is received from 1 January 2017.

Please note that this isn’t in NSW law yet, however, the change is coming and I will keep an eye on NSW Legislation website for the Regulation, which will be updated once the amendment is formally passed.

For those who are interested the NSW WHS legislation can be found here:
http://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/#/vie ... n/2011/674.

I would like to personally thank all those schools that have put extensive time and effort into the relabelling of their chemical substances. I advise schools to replace those labels in GHS format which are damaged or unreadable from this point on.
School are not required to remove any of their new GHS labels."

Same from CSO

Phil Crisp told people to put black tape over existing label and put new GHS label on the bottle -

I would never do this, it is a back up for us labbies. Label over the back of the bottle, that way you can prove that bottle is copper sulphate or what ever. We must cover our own backs so to speak. Fully covering up the orginal label is silly.

Labbie wrote:Phil Crisp told people to put black tape over existing label and put new GHS label on the bottle -

I would never do this, it is a back up for us labbies. Label over the back of the bottle, that way you can prove that bottle is copper sulphate or what ever. We must cover our own backs so to speak. Fully covering up the orginal label is silly.

and not needed according to Safe Work Australia. The reason he suggested this is that under GHS, only those things legislated to be on the label must be on the bottle...nothing else. Also Safe Work Australia has only just come out with the amendment. My understanding is that it is yet to be incorporated at a state level but will be.

Thank you smee.

This was published in last week's SchoolBiz for the Tamworth Region:

Friday
10 June


Labelling of Chemicals - Update for Schools
This article provides an update to schools regarding the new Globally Harmonised System (GHS) of chemical labelling.

This new system of labelling for chemicals has being introduced in Australia through national and state work health and safety legislation and will replace the current labelling requirements for chemicals. The changes are effective from 1 January 2017. SafeWork NSW has recently published fact sheets which are available at:
http://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/__data/a ... t-8028.pdf

Following recent amendments to the regulation of GHS, it is important to be aware that users of hazardous chemicals are not required to relabel or dispose of existing stock because the label is outdated. GHS compliant labelling will only be required for all products purchased after 31 December 2016. Schools are requested to not undertake any relabelling of stock.

Additional information regarding GHS will be published during 2017. Please refer to the Asset Management Directorate intranet site for updates:
https://detwww.det.nsw.edu.au/assetmana ... school.htm

For further information, please contact the Asset Management Directorate Compliance and Safety Unit on telephone (02) 9561 1011 or your WHS Consultant through the WHS Hotline on 1800 811 523.