Labeling of chemicals

One incident is described in Section 2.8 (a). Several incidents have occurred because drums or bottles were unlabeled and people assumed that they contained the material usually handled at the plant. In one case, six drums of hypo (sodium hypochlorite) had to be added to a tank of water. Some of the drums were not labeled. One, which contained sulfuric acid, was added after some of the genuine hypo and chlorine was given off. The men adding the material in the drums were affected by the fumes. 

In another case an unlabeled drum smelled like methylethylketone (MEK), so it was assumed to be MEK and was fed to the plant. Actually, it contained ethanol and a bit of MEK. Fortunately, the only result was a ruined batch. 

Some nitric acid had to be flown from the U.S. to the UK. Several U.S. regulations were broken the acid was packed in glass bottles instead of metal ones and was surrounded by sawdust instead of nonflammable material, and the boxes containing the bottles were not labeled as hazardous or marked This Side Up. The boxes were therefore loaded into the cargo aircraft on their sides, and the bottles leaked. Smoke entered the flight deck, and the crew decided to land, but while doing so the plane crashed, probably as the result of poor visibility on the flight deck, and the crew was killed. It is not clear why a common material of commerce had to be flown across the Atlantic [5]. 

Inspections showed that two cooling towers contained asbestos. Sticky warning labels were fixed to them. No maintenance work was carried out 

Several incidents have occurred because similar names were confused. The famous case involving Nutrimaster (a food additive for animals) and Firemaster (a fire retardant) is w ell known. The two materials were supplied in similar bags. A bag of Firemaster, delivered instead of Nutrimaster, was mixed into animal feeding stuffs, causing an epidemic of illness among the fami animals. Farmers and their families were also affected [3]. 

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Labour regulations, based on the European regulations, set a real instability code, which has to appear on the labelling of chemical substance containers. This code defines the following risk indications (decree from 10.10.1983) ... 

Labour regulations have a code 19 with regards to the labelling of chemical compounds Can form explosive peroxides . Ethers with code 19 are listed in the table below ... 

The United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) includes an internationally standardized guidance procedure on Transformation/Dissolution Protocol (T/DP) for metals and sparingly soluble metal compounds (United Nations, 2007), recently validated by the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development). To establish the acute aquatic hazard classification level of a metal-bearing substance under the GHS, data from the T/DP are compared with an acute ecotoxicity reference value (ERV) derived under conditions similar to those of the T/DP. 

United Nations. 2007. Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals, ST/SG/AC. 10/30/Rev.2. 

The Global Harmonised Scheme for Classification and Labelling of Chemicals... 

An examination is made of the requirements of a European Union directive (1999/45/CE) relating to the classification, packaging and labelling of chemical substances considered harmful to the health or the environment. 

Petition the Federal Trade Commission for proper labelling of chemicals. 

Current work on the new EU legislation for chemicals, REACH, as well as the implementahon of a Globally Harmonized System of Classihcation and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) (Sechon 2.5) within the EU will lead to a major revision of the EU classihcation and labeling system. 

GLOBALLY HARMONIZED SYSTEM OF CLASSIFICATION AND LABELING OF CHEMICALS... 

The need to develop national programs to ensure the safe use, transport, and disposal of chemicals has grown in recent years and it has been recognized that an internationally harmonized approach to classification and labeling of chemicals would provide the foundation for such programs (UNECE 2006). 

The T25 was originally proposed as a simplihed carcinogenic potency index as a practical method for potency considerations in carcinogen classihcation systems (Dybing et al. 1997) and is used within the EU context of classihcation and labeling of chemical substances (see Section 2.4.1.8) for inclusion of potency considerations in setting specihc concentration limits for carcinogens in Annex I of Directive 67/548/EEC (EC 1999). 

GHS Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals... 

UN (2011) Globally harmonized system of classification and labelling of chemicals (GHS), 4th edn. United Nations, New York, elSBN 978-92-1-054745-1... 

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. 2004. Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). http //www.unece.org/trans/dan-ger/publi/ghs/ghs welcome e.html (accessed January 8, 2008). 

The 12th Adaptation to Technical Progress [7] of the Dangerous Substances Directive contained, for the first time, the requirements and criteria for classification and labelling of chemical substances dangerous for the environment and the 7th Amendment [8] to the Dangerous Substances Directive gave the symbol N for this which depicts a dead fish and a dead tree. 

The Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals is an international standard for chemical classification and hazard communication that countries can use to establish comprehensive national chemical safety programmes. 

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