Hazard Communication

Per GHS, hazards need to be communicated:

• In more than one form (for example, placards, labels or SDS’s).
• With hazard statements and precautionary statements.
• In an easily comprehensible and standardized manner.
• Consistent with other statements to reduce confusion.
• Taking into account all existing research and any new evidence.

Comprehensibility is challenging for a single culture and language, so global harmonization is complex. The GHS Purple Book includes a comprehensibility-testing instrument in Annex 6. Factors that were considered in developing the GHS communication tools include:

• Different philosophies in existing systems on how and what should be communicated;
• Language differences around the world;
• Ability to translate phrases meaningfully;
• Ability to understand and appropriately respond to pictograms.