Adaptation to the GHS applicable in China: Decree 591
The Decree 591 (Regulations on the Safe Management of Hazardous Chemicals in China), published by the State Council of China, regulates the management of hazardous chemicals in the country. All of them must be registered prior to their manufacture or import, as established in Order No. 53 of the State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS).
The GHS is implemented through a series of standards, some of them are mandatory (GB) and some are recommended (GB/T).
The criteria for classification and labeling is aligned with the 4th revision of the GHS in standards GB 30000.2-2013 – GB 30000.29-2013. Each of these standards corresponds to one of the 28 hazard classes established in the mentioned revision of the GHS.
The requirements for SDS are set out in GB/T 16483-2008 (Safety data sheet for chemical products content and order of sections) and GB/T 17519-2013 (Guidance on the compilation of safety data sheet for chemical products), which indicate the content and order of the sections. Although these standards are recommended, the authorities refer to them to determine whether a SDS is compliant or not.
