GHS in Childcare is Important

The GHS becomes mandatory in most Australian States from 1st January 2018. Childcare centres are registered workplaces making GHS in Childcare is a key area of compliance.

What is GHS?

The Globally Harmonised System (GHS) is internationally used to standardise and harmonise the classification and labelling of chemicals – including cleaning chemicals.

All states in Australia excluding Western Australia, will have transitioned to the GHS on by January 2017.

Any chemical products that are being imported, prepared for export, or manufactured in Australia will be required to be labelled under the GHS. This will be mandatory from 1 January 2018 in the States identified above.

Manufacturers are required to ensure that chemicals are correctly labelled.

Suppliers are required NOT to supply a hazardous chemical to a workplace if the supplier knows, or ought reasonably to know, that the chemical is not correctly labelled.

Businesses using chemicals are required to ensure that any hazardous chemical that is used, handled or stored at the workplace is correctly labelled in accordance with Schedule 8 of the WHS Regulations.

The GHS classification process uses defined criteria to identify the hazard(s) of a chemical or mixture by assigning a category of hazard/danger.

The GHS categories are physical, health and environmental hazards. The GHS provides:

• definitions of health, physical and environmental hazards
• classification processes
• communication of hazard information and protective measures via labels and safety data sheets (SDS).

Change with the new harmonisation of chemical hazards and labelling of chemicals.

What you need to do to remain compliant after 1 January 2017 with regulations when you use cleaning chemicals in your workplace:

From 1 January 2018 all labels on all cleaning chemicals in your workplace must have the appropriate pictograms present on the label.

This is a regulatory workplace health and safety regulation.

Solo Pak has moved to new labels during November 2016. We are also in the process of updating Safety Data Sheets to ensure they comply with the new regulations to enable compliance with GHS in Childcare.

Buying Solo Pak or our Earth Renewable branded products will ensure you remain compliant with these new regulations.

And of course buying Earth Renewable products ensures that you are buying hazard free products that are safe for people and safe for the environment.

The only change you are likely to see is the inclusion of the exclamation mark pictogram to accompany our standard warnings we make about getting chemicals in the eyes, splashes and ingestion of chemicals.

Solo Pak will keep you and your business compliant in terms of the labels and Safety Data Sheets that we provide.

But Beware.

If you are buying any cleaning chemicals from other places that are not talking to you about this change coming along on 1 January 2018 your business may be at risk of non-compliance with Workplace Safety Requirements.

SafeWork Australia Checklist: Are you Ready?

Need any advice about our products or any other products you are using – we can help you, please call us on 1300 307 755 . 

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Consider trying Earth Renewable cleaning products so that you are fully compliant with the GHS in childcare regulations.