Colombia - GHS Status

On August 2018, Colombia implemented the sixth revised edition of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS 6) for the hazard classification of substances and mixtures. This implementation came into force with the adoption of Decree No. 1496. According to Article 1 (paragraph 1) of Decree No. 1496, the implementation period will be decided by the Ministry of Health, Labour, Agriculture, Transport and Industry based on areas of responsibility. Subsequently, Resolution 0773 of the Ministry of Labour and Health was released on 7 April 2021 for the implementation of GHS 6 in the workplace. This resolution took effect on the date of publication. It is mandatory to classify, label and prepare safety data sheets for hazardous good according to GHS 6 as of 7 April 2023 for substances and 7 April 2024 for mixtures. 

Local Adaptation of GHS: 

Colombia has adopted building blocks according to GHS 6 but has not yet officially disclosed which building blocks have been adopted. 

GHS Labelling Requirements:

Labelling in Colombia is governed by Article 7 of Resolution 0073. Labels must be in Spanish and must be reviewed every 5 years. The following label elements are mandatory. 

• Product identifier
• Supplier identification 
• Product Hazard Communication Elements (hazard pictogram and statements; signal words)
• Precautionary advice (statements)

In addition, the nominal quantity of the product and the batch number may be indicated on the product label. 

Safety Data Sheets 

Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) shall be provided in accordance with the provisions of Annex 4 of UN GHS 6 and Article 16 of Resolution 0773. A Colombian SDS must contain the standard sections. It must be in Spanish and include the date of preparation or, in case of a revision the date of the last revision. It must have a local toll-free emergency number that is active 24/7. It shall be available at all times in physical or electronic media. For Section 8, Occupational Exposure Limit (OEL) values will correspond to the Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) defined by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) in force on the date the SDS is prepared or updated. The SDS must be reviewed every 5 years, even if no significant new or updated information becomes available. For Confidential Business Information (CBI), the name of the substance, the description of the composition of the mixture and the CAS number may be omitted on both the label and in the SDS. The rest of the information must be included on the label and in the SDS. 

GHS in Transport

The national road transport of hazardous materials in Colombia is regulated by Decree 1609, which was issued on 31 July 2002. In May 2014, Resolution 1223 of 14 May 2014, was issued, mandating that drivers of trucks tranporting hazardous materials to be certified. The national standards reffered to in Decree 1609 include the rules applicable to packaging for each class (1 through 9). The national standards correspond to various revisions of the United Nations Model Regulation