Council of Ministers approves regulations for labeling hazardous chemicals

he standard will provide more and better information on these elements, minimizing the risks of accidents and damage to the environment.

The Council of Ministers for Sustainability, chaired by the Minister of the Environment, Carolina Schmidt, approved the proposed Regulation of Classification, Labeling and Notification of Hazardous Substances and Mixtures, which seeks to standardize the classification of hazards and labeling of chemical products, putting Chile in line with the standards of the United Nations and the OECD.

The regulation, which marks the beginning of the implementation in the country of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS, by its acronym in English), regulates the labeling of safety of hazardous chemical substances, improving the delivery of information and registration, increasing levels of risk prevention and the safety of users and operators, and protecting the environment in a better way.

In addition, the regulation establishes, among other aspects, the obligation to suppliers of chemical substances to deliver a safety data sheet to industrial users of these substances, including information on the characteristics of the products, the proper handling of the substances in first aid, spill, among others.

Although the country has labeling and information systems for chemical substances, the implementation of the regulation harmonizes and standardizes the labeling, making it consistent and consistent with current international uses, providing more and better information, and minimizing the risks of accidents and damage to the environment. environment.

The Ministries of Environment and Health have led the process of drafting this regulation, with broad citizen participation, the productive world and a variety of public services.

SOURCE: portal.mma.gob.cl (AUTOMATICALLY TRANSLATED FROM SPANISH)