The Brazilian research organization Fundacentro, part of the Ministro do Trabalho (Ministry of Labor; Ministry) and dedicated to the “production and dissemination of knowledge contributing to the promotion of safety and health of workers, aiming at sustainable environment”, has engaged with members of the fertilizer industry in the country.[1] The purpose of the information gathering was to develop a manual (“Manual”) that would provide guidance on (1) how to communicate the hazards of fertilizer substances to end users, and (2) how to classify such products accurately and in a consistent manner. The Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling’s (GHS) 7th revision was used as basis for this project, as the most recent revision of GHS in Brazil will use this version.
The Ministry engaged with a variety of external sources to prepare the Manual, such as:
1. European Chemicals Agency (ECHA);
2. OECD’s eChemPortal, which “allows simultaneous searching of reports and datasets by chemical name and number, by chemical property, and by GHS classification…”; and
3. GESTIS Substance Database, maintained by the Institut für Arbeitsschutz der Deutschen Gesetzlichen Unfallversicherung (Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance), a database that contains information for the safe handling of hazardous substances and other chemical substances at work.
The Manual is broken down into several sections. Appendix 1 lists the substances commonly used in fertilizers, along with their CAS numbers. Appendix 1 also lists non-mandatory (suggested) classifications for these substances. Appendix 2 provides the GHS classification for macronutrients, and Appendix 3 provides the same for micronutrients.
The English version of the Manual can be obtained from this link, and the Portuguese version here.
Michael S. Wenk, President/Director of m4 Global Consulting LLC, has written and spoken extensively on chemical regulation in the South America and the Middle East, most recently publishing the handbook “Chemical Regulation in the Middle East” under the Wiley and Sons imprint in 2018. Mr. Wenk is a globally-recognized authority on the topic, and m4 Global Consulting LLC has the experience, resources and expertise to assist companies in complying with the myriad of regulations in the region.
Mr. Wenk can be reached at +(678) 836 6419, or by e-mail at michael@m4globalconsultingllc.com.
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[1] https://www.gov.br/fundacentro/pt-br. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
