Archives

April 10, 2025

REACH and GHS in Latin America — A Conversation with Melissa Owen

This week I had the pleasure of speaking with Melissa Owen, attorney/owner of Ambiente Legal, about the significant regulatory developments regarding chemical registration in Latin America, including Latin American Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) initiatives and the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). We discuss Brazil REACH, which requires by law the government to have an implementing regulation issued...
January 6, 2025

2025 Forecast for U.S. Federal and International Chemical Regulatory Policy

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®), its global consulting affiliate The Acta Group (Acta®), and consortia management affiliate B&C® Consortia Management, L.L.C. (BCCM) are pleased to share with you our 2025 Forecast. For all the reasons you might imagine, our seasoned team was especially challenged this year in speculating on what to expect in 2025 regarding global industrial, agricultural, and biocidal chemical regulatory and policy initiatives. Given the European Parliamentary...
July 18, 2024

HCS 2024 — A Conversation with Karin F. Baron

Download transcript. This week, I welcomed back to the studio Karin F. Baron, Director of Hazard Communication and International Registration Strategy at B&C and our consulting affiliate, The Acta Group. And none too soon. Just when you were giving up hope in tackling the monster final Hazard Communication Standard rule issued on May 20, you realized Karin and I are devoting an entire podcast to the final rule! As many of you know, Karin is second...
May 30, 2024

OSHA HCS Amendments Primarily Align with GHS Rev 7

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a final rule on May 20, 2024, that amends the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) to conform to the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS), primarily Revision 7 (Rev 7), address issues that arose during the implementation of the 2012 update to the HCS, and provide better alignment with other U.S. agencies and international trading partners while enhancing the effectiveness of the standard....
November 16, 2023

Rev 10 GHS — A Conversation with Karin F. Baron

Download transcript. This week, I welcomed back to the studio Karin F. Baron, Director of Hazard Communication and International Registration Strategy at B&C and our consulting affiliate, The Acta Group. Karin and I discuss Revision 10 of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals, commonly referred to as GHS. Release of any new GHS revision is a big deal, and Revision 10 is no exception. Karin highlights key elements of the revision, including...
October 13, 2022

JBCE Proposes Harmonization of the Classification of MWCNTs

According to a September 29, 2022, press release, the Japan Business Council in Europe (JBCE) has proposed a harmonization of the classification of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) “based on the latest knowledge on the effects of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in organisms.” JBCE notes that this classification is consistent with the classification of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). JBCE states that “the morphologies, physicochemical properties, and...
February 11, 2021

OSHA’s Proposed Updates to Hazard Communication Standard Will Include Particle Characteristics

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is scheduled to publish a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on February 16, 2021, that would modify the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) to conform to the United Nations’ Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) Revision 7 “to address issues that arose during the implementation of the 2012 update to the HCS, and provide better alignment with other U.S. agencies and international...
August 2, 2019

Nordic Council of Ministers Publishes Report on Applicability of GHS Classification Criteria to Nanomaterials

In May 2019, the Nordic Council of Ministers published a working paper entitled The applicability of the GHS classification criteria to nanomaterials.  The goal of the project was to review the applicability of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) to manufactured nanomaterials, taking into account the progress of international scientific work.  The report notes that the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Working...
July 26, 2019

Brazil Approves Measures To Clarify Agrochemical Classification In Accordance With GHS

By Lynn L. Bergeson and Ligia Duarte Botelho, M.A. On July 23, 2019, the Agencia Nacional de Vigilancia Sanitaria (ANVISA — National Sanitation Surveillance Agency) in Brazil approved measures that clarify the toxicological classification of agrochemicals. Under the approved rules, the evaluation criteria of agrochemicals’ toxicity categories are established and label requirements are updated to include clearer warnings and pictograms. The changes established by ANVISA were based on...
May 20, 2019

NIOSH Activities at 2019 AIHce EXP Include Presentations on Nanomaterials

On May 17, 2019, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) announced that its presentations at the May 20-22, 2019, American Industrial Hygiene Conference & Expo (AIHce EXP) include: NIOSH congratulates Dr. Charles Geraci, Ph.D., Associate Director for Advanced Manufacturing, on being awarded the Henry F. Smyth, Jr. Award for his outstanding ability to recognize technical or scientific challenges that, when solved, benefit the industrial hygiene...