Status on GHS implementation (As at November 2012)

  1. Industrial Workplace
    • Lead agency for this sector is Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), Ministry of Human Resources (MOHR)
    • DOSH has completed the Comprehensibility Testing (CT) and Situation and Gap Analysis (SGA).
    • The proposed GHS implementation strategy for industrial workplace was developed and DOSH will be replacing the current CPL Regulations 1997 with a new regulation based on GHS principles and is anticipated to be gazette sometime end of this year (2012) or early next year (2013). The regulation will be known as the  Occupational Safety and Health (Chemicals Classification, Labeling and Safety Data Sheet) Regulations 201X (CLASS).
    • DOSH has translated the GHS Purple Book (3r d revised edition).
    • DOSH is developing 4 GHS training modules (awareness, basic, intermediate I & II) and the train the trainer's course.
    • Apart from seminars / workshops organized by DOSH / jointly with other organizations, DOSH has also published posters and pamphlets for the promotion of GHS implementation to the industry.
    • The Malaysian Standard (MS1804:2008) on GHS has been developed.
  1. Pesticides
    • Lead agency for this sector is Pesticides Board (PB).
    • Conducted awareness raising courses for the pesticides companies on GHS elements.
    • PB is anticipating the latest version of the FAO on pesticides labeling that is in line with GHS.
  1. Transport
    • Lead agency for this sector is Ministry of Transport (MOT).
    • For the transport of goods by air, the Civil Aviation Regulations 1996 is in-line with GHS.
    • For the transport of goods by marine, the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952 is in-line with GHS.
    • For the transport of goods by road, a new regulation on the vehicle carrying petroleum products and dangerous goods has been draft but yet to be gazette.
    • For the transport of goods by rail, MOT is revising rules on the transports of petroleum and dangerous goods by rail. More consultation time is necessary for this.
    • It also depends on the CLASS regulations, once this is in place, the other agencies can follow suit
  1. Consumer products
    • Lead agency for this sector is Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism (MDTCC).
    • MDTCC plans to incorporate GHS elements into the Consumer Day Programmes as a way to create awareness to consumers.
    • MDTCC is also considering carrying out CT and SGA studies.
  1. Other Initiatives on GHS
    • SIRIM is currently assisting SMEs for the preparation of SDS. However, only tests on the physical hazards (except test on explosion) are available at this moment
    • A Technical Committee under SIRIM has also completed the adoption of GHS as a Malaysian Standard.
    • LESTARI (Institute for Environment and Development) had collaborated with UNITAR (United Nations Institute for Training and Research) to conduct 2 studies, i.e.
      • Regional GHS Capacity Assessment in ASEAN
      • Regional GHS Implementation Strategy for ASEAN
      • Regional GHS Workshop under the 2010-2012 UNITAR-GHS Projec
    • Establishment of MyNICHE (Malaysian Network for Integrated Management of Chemicals and Hazardous Substances for Environment and Development) - Issues on GHS were discussed in MyNICHE.