On January 10, 2020, the Safe Work Australia (SWA) announced in a press release [1] that its members have agreed to practice the 7th revised edition of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) for management of workplace hazardous chemicals. Earlier in July 2019, the agency opened a consultation on the proposal to move to GHS Revision 7 (ChemLinked news [2]).
Australia began adopting GHS Revision 3 under the model Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws starting from January 1, 2017. Nevertheless, many of Australia's key trading partners in chemicals have moved to newer versions of GHS, which prompts the country to make a change so as to align its own management practices with those of others.
The SWA noted in the press release that the GHS Revision 7 will be officially employed starting from July 1, 2020. Meanwhile, a two-year transitional period will be given to manufacturers and importers of chemicals so that they will have ample time to prepare new classifications, labels, and safety data sheets (SDS), which are in line with GHS Revision 7 requirements.
Moreover, it is also made clear that suppliers and users of hazardous chemicals will not be affected by the initiative of moving towards GHS Revision 7, so they are allowed to continue supplying or using chemicals classified and labeled under GHS Revision 3 until they run out of the stocks.
