GHS and the Rotterdam/ Stockholm Convention

and ILO Chemicals Convention 170

GHS Stocktaking Workshop For Southeast, East and Central Asia 15-17 September 2010

Beijing, People’s Republic of China

REINER ARNDT, UNITAR

Priorities for sound management of chemicals

• Banned, restricted Chemicals 100s + (POP, Montreal, PIC) chemical specific action

• Hazardous chemicals (list?) 1000s + (GHS) hazard/risk specific prevention/protection strategies

• All chemicals (inventory?) 10000s + general pollution prevention/protection strategies

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Rotterdam Convention (RC) on Banned and Severely Restricted Chemicals (PIC)

Banned chemicals/pesticides (2 countries, 2 regions), severely hazardous pesticide formulations

Prior Consent Procedure (PIC) List annex III, expert committee CRC, decision guidance documents, national import decision based on regulation, control of export (exporting countries)

Information with chemical (C/L, SDS for export) Information about chemical (Designated national

authority DNA: export notification, notification of national ban or severe restriction)

Technical assistance (bilateral, no fund) 3

Rotterdam Convention: 40 chemicals in Annex III

Pesticides (25) for example:Aldrin, dinitro-ortho-cresol and its salts, 1,2-dibromoethane, mercury compounds, monocrotophos, tributyltin compounds

Severely hazardous formulations (4) for example:Methamidophos , phosphamidon (liquid formulations)

Industrial chemicals (11) for example:Asbestos: crocidolite, actinolite, anthophyllite, amosite,tremolite; PCB, tetraethyl lead, Tris (2,3-dibromopropyl) phosphate

Chemicals proposed for listingChrysotile asbestos, Endosulfan

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GHS in Rotterdam Convention Obligation to provide GHS C/L for Annex III chemicals

and nationally banned or severely restricted chemicals - with export of chemicals (art 13, para 2) - with yearly export notifications (art 12 para 1) - with notification of regulatory action (art 5, 6)use (as practical) official language of importing party

Obligation to provide safety data sheet (art 13 para 3)- with export of chemicals for occupational purposes

Obligatory C/L, safety data sheet (occupational use) for export strong driver to implement GHS nationally

RecommendationParties may require same C/L for (art 13 para 3) exported chemicals as for hazardous chemicals on their market (GHS)

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Rotterdam Convention and GHS implementation

GHS implementation for RC (examples) International agreed list (UNECEGHS subcommittee) on GHS classification and labelling of - annex III chemicals in trade- nationally banned/severely restricted chemicals Safety data sheets examples (from international industry associations), GHS examples for annex III chemicals in trade (from exporting parties) on clearinghouse website RC

GHS implementation through RCBuild on structures and processes developed for RC implementation (national synergies), customs control

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Stockholm Convention (SC) on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP)

Produced POPs (industrial chemicals, pesticides), unintentionally produced POPs (one proposal from one country)

Lifecycle managementBan, restriction of trade, release reduction,manage stockpiles, waste, contaminated sites

List of POPs, expert committee POPRC,new listed POPs, no new developed POPs

National focal point, information exchange National implementation plans Awareness, R&D, reporting, monitoring Technical assistance (GEF Fund)

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Global Impact of POPs POPs are organic chemicals that are halogenated with

chlorine and bromine and very persistent in the environment

Local release to soil, water, air (risks - local exposure) Persistence (ghost out of the bottle, remains in the

environment) Semi volatile, long range transport with distribution in soil,

sediment, water, air Deposit in receiving media (how achieve protection far

from release?) Bioaccumulation (Kow) and Biomagnification therefore Relevant concentrations at end of food chain:

risks to man, wildlife, biodiversity, time trends (impact of global warming?)

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Stockholm Convention: 21 chemicals

Original 12 POPs “dirty dozen” Pesticides: aldrin, chlordane, DDT, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, hexachlorobenzene, mirex, toxaphene Chemicals: hexachlorobenzene,  PCBs By products: hexachlorobenzene, PCDDs/PCDFs, PCBs

9 new POPs - Pesticides: chlordecone, alpha HCH, beta HCH, lindane (gamma HCH), pentachlorobenzene Chemicals: hexabromobiphenyl, hexabromodiphenyl ether and heptabromodiphenyl ether, pentachlorobenzene, perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, its salts and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride, tetrabromodiphenyl ether and pentabromodiphenyl ether By products: pentachlorobenzene

POPs discussed in POPRC: HBCD, SCCP, Endosulfan 9

Stockholm Convention and GHS GHS (elements) in Stockholm Convention:

banned chemicals, export/import allowed for exemptions/ acceptable purposes with GHS C/L GHS hazard classification in risk evaluation (POPRC)SC label requirement for chemicals in products (PCB transformers), products not covered by GHS

GHS implementation for SC (see also RC) International agreed list on GHS classification and labelling of chemicals in Annexes A and B

GHS implementation through SCBuild on structures and processes developed for SC implementation (national synergies), customs control

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Key elements of ILOChemicals Convention (No.170)

• National policy on chemical safety• Classification systems• Labelling and marking• Chemical safety data sheets• Responsibility of suppliers• Responsibility of employers• Duties and rights of workers

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ILO Convention 170 and the GHS

• GHS follow-up to the adoption of ILO 170 (1990)• Work under the IOMC, focal points being ILO, OECD and

UN SCTDG (1992-2002)• GHS provides harmonised tools for chemical hazard

communication for workplace, transport, consumers and environment

• Designed to cover all chemicals, including mixtures• Harmonised and universal non-binding standard• Facilitate trade in chemicals and ease global information

exchange of hazards of toxic chemicals and preventive measures

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ILO chemical control toolkit

• Scheme for Workplace Chemicals Control Kit designed for SMEs in (developing) countries

• Generic risk assessment based on GHS and task guidance sheets

• Aim is to provide simple and practical means to prevent/reduce risks of chemicals in the work place

• Elements: Hazard classification, scale of use, ability to become airborne, finding the control approach, finding the task-specific control guidance sheet(s)

• Does not cover process generated dusts and fumes

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Thank you!

Chemicals and Waste Management ProgrammeUnited Nations Institute for Training and

Research (UNITAR)Palais des Nations12-11 Geneva 10

Tel: +41 22 917 1234Fax: +41 22 917 8047

Email: reiner.arndt@unitar.org