HAZARD DATA BASE (2)

In the previous post “HAZARD DATA BASE” in this blog a worldwide data bank was envisaged where all the substances will be gradually included together with their classification; and, looking specifically to people outside Europe, I mentioned the REACH European Regulation 1907/2006, aimed to register chemicals in a central database, and the European draft Regulation to implement GHS.

Taking care of the new development in terms of classification and marking for environmental hazardous substances (see Post “ENVIRONMENTALLY HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES (2)in this blog), it should be noted that the harmonization in that area should require an agreement with IMO on the list of environmentally hazardous substances (to replace the marine pollutants’one).

The UNSCETDG should then start to consider how to deal with the list of hazardous substances which will be developed according to European legislation (REACH and GHS), the existing list of marine pollutants, and, above all, the fact that, following the implementation of GHS, all the existing lists of hazardous substances (including the List of Dangerous Goods in the UN Model Regulations) should need to be revised to avoid that the same substance is classified in different ways in different sectors, while using the same system of classification (GHS).

The UNSCETDG should not forget that who take the initiative is generally able to better control the outcome !