Chemical Watch
2011/11/15
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) has updated its GHS Reference Exchange and Tools (GREAT) website, which provides GHS labelling elements for free. The site, which was launched in 2009 with five languages, now includes 32, nine from the Asia Pacific region and 23 from Europe.
Jowitt Li of Taiwan’s Safety and Health Technology Center (SAHTECH) says the web-based tool was developed to provide GHS labelling elements in different languages in a joint effort to facilitate international GHS implementation, especially for SMEs. The information – covering hazard class and category, pictogram, signal word, hazard statement, and precautionary statement – is submitted by APEC members, with the Taiwanese Council of Labor Affairs and SAHTECH hosting and managing the website.
Mr Li says there has been overwhelming support for the website, from country competent authorities, trade associations and international industry players. He adds that the proposal to add EU languages was debated at the APEC Chemical Dialogue as part of discussions on whether to include information from outside the Asia-Pacific. He said industry participants were keen to include such information in order to support trade from Asia to the EU and other regions. Mr Li noted that the aim is to include as many countries as possible, but that will depend on participation, which is voluntary.
GHS labelling elements are currently available in languages from Australia, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Russia, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. The EU languages were added recently, and it is hoped Indonesian will be included by the end of the year, and others in the second quarter 2012 – along with GHS implementation updates from the participating countries.