New Zealand - GHS Status

New Zealand adopted the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) by amending the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) Act. The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has the authority under the HSNO Act to make and publish regulations for the implementation of the GHS in New Zealand. 

On 15 October 2020, EPA issued a new Notice under the HSNO Act adopting the seventh revised edition of the GHS (GHS 7). The new legislative instrument, the Hazardous Substances (Hazard Classification) Notice 2020, came into force on 30 April 2021, and the Hazardous Substances (Classification) Notice 2017 and the Hazardous Substances (Minimum Degrees of Hazard) Notice 2017 were revoked.  

The Hazard Classification 2020 Notice aligned the Hazardous Substances (Labelling) Notice 2017 and the Hazardous Substances (Safety Data Sheets) Notice 2017 with GHS 7. These Hazardous Substances Notices were originally based on GHS 5. Both amended notices came into force on 30 April 2021. 

The Hazardous Substances Notices provided a 4-year transitional period to allow stakeholders to make the necessary changes to labels and SDSs. So from 30 April 2025 labels and SDSs must be prepared in accordance with the GHS 7 standards. 

In addition to environmental hazards, New Zealand has adopted 4 classifications that include substances that are hazardous to the terrestrial environment. These classifications are not part of the GHS and are listed below.  

• Hazardous to soil organisms 
• Hazardous to terrestrial vertebrates 
• Hazardous to terrestrial invertebrates 
• Designed for biocidal action 

Local Adaptation of GHS

The following building blocks of the GHS have not yet been adopted in New Zealand: 

• Acute Toxicity (Oral, Dermal and Inhalation), Category 5 
• Chemicals under Pressure, all categories 
• Skin Corrosion/Irritation, Category 3 
• Aspiration Hazard, Category 2 
• Aquatic Acute Toxicity, Category 2 & 3 
• Ozone Depletion, Category 1 

The following Subcategories are not adopted as they are optional: 

• Serious Eye Damage/Eye Irritation, 2A/2B 
• Germ Cell Mutagenicity, Carcinogenicity and Reproductive Toxicity, 1A/1B 

GHS Labelling Requirements 

For New Zealand, the labelling standards are set by EPA in the Hazardous Substances (Labelling) Notice 2017 (amended in 2020). The label must be in English and include the following elements: 

• Product identifier (common/chemical/registered trade name) 
• Supplier and emergency contact details of the New Zealand importer/manufacturer 
• Pictogram 
• Signal word 
• Hazard statements 
• Precautionary statements 

Other information: 

• Any other hazard information and first aid/emergency procedures 
• During storage, a description of each likely change and the date by which it is likely to occur. For mixtures in which an ingredient is present at or above the concentration limit, the labelling information must include the common or chemical name of the ingredient and its concentration in the mixture. 

Safety Data Sheets

In New Zealand, EPA sets the standards for the preparation of Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) in the Hazardous Substances (SDS) Notice 2017 (amended in 2020). The SDS must contain the 16 standard sections and be written in English. SDSs must be revised every 5 years according to the new regulation. A good quality SDS with 16 sections from the United States, the European Union, Canada, or Australia should meet New Zealand requirements. However, the following additional information is required: 

• Name, telephone number, and emergency contact information for New Zealand, along with the importer or manufacturer (Section 1 of the SDS). 
• HSNO regulatory data, such as the title of the group standard or HSNO approval number, if applicable (Section 15 of the SDS)