When classifying products it is common to find significant differences in Classifications that you have to make considered decisions about.
This can mean differences in whether a product in Australia is:
1/ Dangerous Goods or Not and so your decision will affect the transport and storage costs.
2/ A Hazardous Chemical or Not, and so your decision will affect whether additional labelling is required and workers are informed and specifically trained when using these products, compared to general handling and storage arrangements.
3/ An Environmentally Hazardous chemical, that does not come under the Work Health & Safety Regulations (except in Victoria and WA where there State Regs still include these hazards), but in All States & Territories you still have an obligation to inform customers under the various EPA regulations in each State and Territory, whilst the EPAs of Australia finally come to a decision to require SDSs and Labels, which they started considering over 20+ years ago!
4/ A Schedule Poison for domestic use that requires different labelling to what is required in the workplace. There are now many IMAP chemicals suggested to & have become Schedule Poisons (that industry must be alerted to).
5/ Or for domestic use where it is Not a Scheduled Poisons BUT you would classify it as a Hazardous Chemical IF used in the workplace. So how do you label it for the domestic market and do you inform the TGA Chemical Scheduling Committee?
6/ Or has a Hazard that needs to be informed under Common Law, such as a Dust Explosion Hazard; or when opened, the moisture in the air that ends up in a half empty container can react to form a flammable gas atmosphere above the product; or an Unsaturated Oil than needs to alert that a High Surface Area Absorbent can’t be used on a spill, unless the spontaneously combustible (from composting) result is managed carefully, so you don’t start a fire and burn down your warehouse; etc.
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There are several websites and groups where you may gain help in these sort of decisions:
1/ UK Chemical Hazards Communication Society
Note: This society has the most useful GHS issues email Questions Forum that I know of in the world.
It is FREE to sign up to! BUT this not a simple sign in as it must be requested and agreed.
It is to help Chemical Hazard specialists to resolve their problems and to network with each other.
http://www.chcs.org.uk/chemical-hazards-forum.htm
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2/ The Chemical Hazard Communication Network meets in Melbourne twice yearly (or as needed).
The 2 normal meetings are in March and September equinox dates on a Wed or Thurs, now as a Zoom meeting only.
It is chaired and co- convened by Richard Greenwood and and email alerted & co-convened by Jeff Simpson.
There is also an email list that interested chemical hazard communication workers are welcome to join.
Contact Jeff.Simpson@haztech.com.au for more information.
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3/ “LinkedIn” have several groups with 1000-2000 members. e.g.
British Association of Dangerous Goods Professional (BADGP)
https://www.linkedin.com/grp/home?gid=3393106
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Society for Chemical Hazard Communication (SCHC)
https://www.linkedin.com/grp/home?gid=2738634
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