Australia's Science Forum

Hi all
I have had someone ask me about the dots on Chemicals.
They have heard that this may stop, but as far as I know the only thing that will change is the labels .
If anyone has heard anything can you please let me know please.
The Dept has not informed us of any changes to the dots.

As far as I know the Dept has not informed us about anything, especially GHS. I was speaking to someone in Sydney and was told that they would be in contact with me to answer some questions I had - possibly in 3 to 4 days. That was on 18th October.

Hi ladies,
I've just asked my HT about GHS and drew a blank look (no surprises there). Has advised me not to do anything until someone tells us to.
Tempting but...
At least we can be prepared for when the DEC wakes up.

Cheers,
Searchie

I just got a disk in the mail from Omega Scientific. It's a trial version of a GHS labelling system. Looks much easier than anything else I've seen so far with regards to labelling and that's just from looking at the paperwork! But the down side is to purchase the full system is $295 (site license) so start planning your budgets if you think it's something you'd like! I have not heard anything official through work. The only place I've heard about it is on here. There is no need to start relabelling in a mad panic! As for the dots, I imagine they would stay as they are a Department schools thing, completely separate to the labelling legislation.

ChemGold also has GHS labels available as well as the safety data sheets. Type in the chemical and when the MSDS comes up select options and GHS mode is there.

I've been trying to compare the GHS labels on Omega to the GHS labels on ChemGold, but the GHS labels on ChemGold seem to have disappeared. The SDS are still available though.

Does anyone have the current chart with the coloured dots in 'soft form'
i.e so it can be emailed to me, and then i can email it to our staff for their folders?

Thanks!

Hope this helps

Question - do you have dots on every single dropper bottle, or just the container the sets are stored in?

I do every single bottle!

Hi Noona,

I asked WorkCover about this last year, they said we should still work within our guidelines ie CSIS, use RA's and SDS's, that is enough for me. Have a read of the Code of Practice 'Labelling of Workplace Hazardous Chemicals' from Safe Work Australia can be downloaded. While it relates to industry it does cover GHS and what we do . Interesting read, heavy though

Cheers
Lisa

Thanks Lisa
I think some HT has got it wrong
I have informed the people about the dots
I will wait till the dept send something ( I will be retired by then I hope ) That could take a while

thanks for the file!

Hi All

What is the general rule when this occurs? Do we use the higher level dot? (I have been using the higher levels.)

For example, when we have situations like this with Hydrochloric Acid: >0.2 to <4M is green. >4M to <10M is orange

Thanks

Sorry perhaps its because its Monday, 0.1M to 4M is a green dot. 4m to 10M is a orange dot. All mine 4M have a green dot, I have a 4.5M it is orange.

I put orange on my 4M. Anything under gets a green. and anything 10M or over gets a red dot - Teacher only. Thats how I look at it.
Cheers Trish

We use riskassess here! (gottta say I like it). So I use that. when the teacher places their chemicals required for a prac in riskassess it tells you whether it is for K-12, 7-10, 11-12 or teacher only and I add dots accordingly, if I need to make up chemicals/labels.
If I need to find the appropriate dot I just look it up in riskassess and it tells me, no thinking required.(I like that). As the same person who did csis also did riskassess, so any updates to chemicals would be in riskassess instead of the old csis manual.

I also use it to ensure that teachers are not ordering unsafe chemicals for the little ones, in which case I alert the head teacher and they can advise me whether I can dispense the chemical or not.