In late February 2021, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) released a ministerial document [1], in which it provided a draft timetable for subjecting up to 2,600 more substances to mandatory SDS and labelling requirements.
Currently, the authority has specified the GHS hazard class of 3,018 substances, among which only 673 are mandatorily subject to SDS and labelling obligations. While continuing to work on the GHS classification of more substances, the authority is planning to expand the application scope of mandatory GHS-related obligations. A proposed timetable is specified as below:
Ø By year 2021: around 700 Category 1 substances with carcinogenicity, germ cell mutagenicity, and reproductive and acute toxicity are to be included
Ø By year 2022: around 700 hazardous substances in Category 1, other than those included in Year 2021, and hazardous substances in Category 2 are to be included
Ø By year 2023: 700 other substances are to be included
Ø By year 2024: around 150-300 substances newly classified under GHS, as published in Year 2021-2023, are to be included
Ø By year 2025: around 50-100 substances newly classified under GHS, as published in Year 2025, are to be included
At present, the timetable is still under discussion by the authority. It is necessary for relevant businesses to keep a close watch on any updates in this regard. Once the work starts, businesses will need to check whether their substances are newly subject to mandatory GHS-related requirements and update SDSs accordingly in a timely manner.
