Australia SWA Announces Transition to UN GHS Rev. 7 Completed (Updated on June 28, 2023)

Updates: 

Recently, the SWA announced that Australia has completed its transition from UN GHS Rev. 3 to UN GHS Rev. 7.

"GHS 7 is now the only system to classify newly manufactured and imported hazardous chemicals and prepare their labels and safety data sheets (SDS) across Australia."

The transition to UN GHS Rev. 7 involved updating the classification and labeling requirements for hazardous chemicals in Australia to align with Australia's key international trading partners. New requirements will help to ensure the safe use, handling, and transport of hazardous chemicals in Australia.

The SWA has also provided guides reflecting Australia’s adoption of GHS 7 to assist with the transition to UN GHS Rev. 7, including:

• Model Code of Practice: Managing risks of hazardous chemicals in the workplace

• Model Code of Practice: Labelling of workplace hazardous chemicals

• Model Code of Practice: Preparation of a safety data sheets for hazardous chemicals

• Classifying hazardous chemicals – National guide

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Safe Work Australia (SWA) has adopted UN GHS Rev. 3 to classify and label hazardous chemicals in Australia since January 1, 2017. On January 1, 2021, the SWA changed from UN GHS Rev. 3 to UN GHS Rev. 7, and provided stakeholders with a two-year transitional period which expired on December 31, 2022. From January 1, 2023, manufactures, importers, suppliers and users of hazardous chemicals in Australia should comply with UN GHS Rev. 7.

What shall be paid attention to?

• For manufacturers and importers

  Re-labeling and disposing of any existing products are not required. However, their SDSs should comply with UN GHS Rev. 7 from January 1 of 2023 even if the label doesn’t. If a company repackage or re-labelled hazardous chemicals, the company will be considered to be a manufacturer or importer of hazardous chemicals.

• For suppliers

  Any stock manufactured or imported before January 1 of 2023 and it’s not classified and labelled under UN GHS Rev. 7 should not be supplied. Only stock that is classified, labelled, and with SDS prepared under UN GHS Rev. 7 should be accepted.

• For users

  Only new stock manufactured or imported after January 1 of 2023, which is manufactured, classified and labelled under UN GHS Rev. 7, should be accepted. The product can be classified and labelled under either UN GHS Rev. 3 or Rev. 7 if the hazardous chemical is manufactured or imported before January 1, 2023. However, SDSs should be prepared under UN GHS Rev. 7 from January 1, 2023.

It should be noted that, in Western Australia, UN GHS Rev. 7 should be used from March 31, 2023. It’s important to make clear the GHS compliance requirements in each jurisdiction of Australia. Details can be checked here.