Switzerland - GHS Status

Focal points:

Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) Federal Roads Office (FEDRO)

Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG)

Main relevant legislation:

Supply and Use (Chemicals law and chemicals ordinance) Transport of Dangerous Goods

GHS implementation status

Transport of dangerous goods

Implemented

For international transport of dangerous goods, see “Implementation through international legal instruments, recommendations, codes and guidelines”.

For transport within Member States of the European Union or the European Economic Area, refer to the information provided under “European Union and European Economic Area”.

National transport of dangerous goods is regulated by Ordinance 741.621, which is based on the provisions of the Agreement concerning the international transport of dangerous good by road (ADR).

Other sectors

Implemented

Switzerland amended the Swiss chemicals ordinance on 14 January 2009 with a view to facilitate trade of chemicals that are already labelled according to GHS, as a first step towards its implementation. The amended ordinance entered into force on 1 February 2009.

On 1 December 2010, the revised ordinances SR 813.11 (on protection against dangerous substances and preparations) and SR 813.12 (on biocidal products) entered into force. The revision allowed the placing on the market of consumer products classified and labelled in accordance with the GHS and defined an overall transitional period for reclassification and labelling of substances (until 1 December 2012) and mixtures (until 1 June 2015), in accordance with European Union’s legislation.

Detailed information about chemical legislation in Switzerland can be found on the website of the Swiss Government Federal Council.

Information material and tools related to the GHS are available at: www.cheminfo.ch