Summary
Chemical safety at work means knowing which hazardous chemicals you hold, communicating the hazards (safety data sheets and labels under the Globally Harmonized System, GHS), controlling exposure, training workers and planning for emergencies and waste. The WHO estimated that at least 2 million lives were lost in 2019 from exposure to selected chemicals. International policy has shifted: the 2020 goal of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) was missed, and countries adopted the Global Framework on Chemicals in 2023 as its successor. Legal duties depend on location: Germany’s Gefahrstoffverordnung, the EU REACH and CLP Regulations, the UK’s COSHH Regulations 2002, OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard in the US and WHMIS in Canada.
Chemicals are used across all sectors, in manufacturing, agriculture, construction and everyday products, with both benefits and harms for health, society and the environment. International chemicals management has not kept pace with the scale of impact, serious incidents still occur, and the effects on health and the environment remain a major global concern.
Proper chemicals management protects workers and the environment and keeps you legally compliant. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that at least 2 million lives were lost in 2019 because of exposure to selected chemicals. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) advocates sound chemicals management as part of its pollution agenda.
The 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg set the goal that by 2020 chemicals should be produced and used in ways that minimise significant adverse effects on health and the environment. The Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) supported that goal, but the 2020 target was not met. In September 2023, the fifth International Conference on Chemicals Management in Bonn adopted the Global Framework on Chemicals, which succeeds SAICM.
What are the key responsibilities for chemical safety management?
The person responsible for chemicals at a facility should make sure that:
- Chemical safety plans are prepared, updated, maintained and implemented
- A register or manifest of hazardous chemicals is kept, and the regulator is notified of significant quantities where required
- Risks of dangerous physical or chemical reactions are identified and the stability of dangerous substances is ensured
- Exposure standards are not exceeded
- Workers exposed to hazardous chemicals receive health monitoring where the law requires it
- Workers get information, training, instruction and supervision
- Spill containment is provided where needed
- The latest Safety Data Sheet (SDS) is obtained from suppliers, under the UN Globally Harmonized System (GHS)
- Safety information is available in a language workers understand
- Ignition sources are controlled and flammable substances are stored separately
- Fire protection, emergency equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE) are supplied and maintained
- An emergency plan exists where hazardous quantities exceed legal thresholds
- Pipes and containers for bulk hazardous chemicals are structurally sound
- Commissioning and decommissioning of storage areas are managed
- Chemical waste goes to a licensed contractor for proper handling, reuse or disposal
Which chemical safety laws apply in Germany, the EU, the UK, the US and Canada?
- EU and Germany: the CLP Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 implements GHS, and REACH (EC) No 1907/2006 regulates registration and restriction. The CLP revision, Regulation (EU) 2024/2865, entered into force in December 2024 with phased application. In Germany, the Gefahrstoffverordnung (GefStoffV), the Chemikaliengesetz and the ArbSchG set workplace duties, including a risk assessment and an operating instruction (Betriebsanweisung).
- UK: the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), UK REACH and GB CLP, enforced by the Health and Safety Executive.
- US: OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200), which was updated in 2024 to align with a newer GHS revision with phased compliance dates, and the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
- Canada: the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS), which implements GHS through the Hazardous Products Act and Regulations, plus provincial occupational health and safety laws.
Which standards and frameworks help?
Organisations that want a structured approach can align with ISO 45001, which gives a framework for managing workplace hazards including chemicals, and draw on International Labour Organization (ILO) guidance on chemical hazard communication and worker protection.
In textiles and apparel, brand and industry requirements go further. OEKO-TEX Standard 100 (with new criteria from June 1, 2026) and the ZDHC Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL), now at Version 3.1, restrict harmful chemicals across the supply chain. Rules on PFAS are tightening: the EU PFHxA restriction applies to clothing from October 10, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Safety Data Sheet?
A standard 16-section document from the supplier that describes a chemical’s hazards, safe handling, storage, emergency measures and disposal. Under GHS and the EU CLP and REACH rules, suppliers must provide it for hazardous chemicals.
Who is responsible for chemical safety at a workplace?
The employer holds the legal duty, usually delegated to a named responsible person, with workers also required to follow procedures and use protective equipment.
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