Request a Demo
The Standardization Administration of China recently published a national recommendary standard GB/T 30000.31-2023 Specification for classification and labelling of chemicals - Part 31: Precautionary label for workplace of chemicals. This new standard aligns with UN GHS Rev.9. It will take effect on June 1, 2024.
As required in the Work Safety Law and the Regulations on the Control over Safety of Hazardous Chemicals (State Council Decree No. 591), enterprises must prominently set up precautionary labels in workplaces. In regard to precautionary labels for workplaces of chemicals, an industrial standard AQ 3047-2013 The Rule of Precautionary Label for Chemicals in Workplace was issued and implemented in 2013. It has been ten years since then, the relevant requirements may be outdated. To keep pace with recent version of UN GHS, GB/T 30000.31-2023 is formulated. It specifies the requirements, preparation, and application of precautionary labels for workplaces of chemicals.
Precautionary labels can alert people to hazards and take appropriate preventive and protective measures, ensuring the safety in workplace. In GB/T 30000.31-2023, the specific elements on the precautionary labels in workplaces of chemicals include:
Chemical identification | Chemical name in Chinese (generic name is permitted) and CAS number (if any) *For a mixture, its ingredients should be indicated (number of ingredients indicated should not exceed five). For the ingredient considered CBI, its hazards should be indicated. |
Pictogram | Use GHS pictograms adopted by GB 30000 series standards. |
Signal word | “Danger” used for more serious hazard categories. “Warning” used for less serious hazard categories. |
Hazard statement | Refer to GB 30000 series standards |
Physicochemical properties | Provide information on physicochemical properties, such as flashpoint, exposure limit， etc. |
Precautionary statement | Refer to GB 30000 series standards |
Personal protective equipment pictogram | Refer to GB 2894-2008: Safety Signs and Guidance for the Use |
Reference statement | “Please refer to the Safety Data Sheet” |
Emergency phone number | Fill in the emergency phone number (Not mandatory: domestic or 24-hour emergency telephone number) |
These label elements should be written in Chinese and be consistent with the content in the SDS. The figure below is an example given in the GB/T 30000.31-2023.
Example of Precautionary Label for Workplace of Chemicals Shown in GB/T 30000.31-2023
GB/T 30000.31-2023 also stipulates the requirements for the color, font, size, printing, setting location and height of the precautionary labels in workplaces of chemicals. Notably, the horizontal size should not be less than 80 cm × 60 cm, and the vertical size should be at least 60 cm × 90 cm. In addition, when printing the label, a yellow-black border with a width of at least 3 mm should be added to the edge.
Proper precautionary labeling in workplaces of chemicals is a critical measure for enterprises to ensure safe operation and reduce injuries in the workplaces. Enterprises that have already set up precautionary labels for chemical workplaces according to AQ 3047-2013 can update them to comply with GB/T 30000.31-2023.
