El Salvador Reach Regulation for Various Sectors

El Salvador presents fragmented legislation when dealing with chemical regulations. The example can be observed from the legislation intended to implement the GHS in the country where GHS tools are spread among three instruments: Decreto 254/2010, Decreto 89/2012, and Acuerdo 1.158/2010.

Decreto 254/2010 - General Law for the Prevention of Risks in workplaces - establishes that every workplace must have an inventory of all existing chemical substances, classified according to the type and degree of danger. Likewise, each workplace must have SDS in Spanish of all chemical substances that are used and that present risks of radiation, flammability, corrosivity, toxicity, oxidation, instability, or any other type of health hazard. Special treatment must exist for the pregnant women. Tanks that contain chemical products that present risks of radiation, flammability, corrosivity, toxicity, oxidation, and instability must adequately have labels with clear and legible information in Spanish about the precautions to be observed regarding their use, handling, storage, disposal, and measures for emergencies. Manufacturers, importers, distributors, warehouses, and transporters of chemical products will be required to provide such information following the provisions of the regulations issued for this purpose. All information must be accessible and communicated to the workers through the training given by qualified personnel.

Decreto 89/2012 - General Risk Prevention Regulation in the Workplaces - reinforces Decreto 254/2010 by giving more detailed obligations on workplaces (art. 240), including the minimum communication requirements for labeling and SDS contents (arts: 222; 227).

Acuerdo 1.158/2010 - Sanitary Technical Standard for the Handling and Storage of Hazardous Chemical Substances provides more information on the storage of chemicals according to the national standard.