Substances and mixtures with explosive properties which are exempted from classification as explosives

Transmitted by the experts from Germany, the United States of America, and Canada

Introduction

1.  During the last meeting the proposal to introduce a note in the GHS for substances and mixtures with explosive properties which are exempted from classification as explosives was discussed by the TDG Sub-Committee and the GHS Sub-Committee. Both sub-committees agreed to the principle of the proposal and welcomed an official document for the next session.

2.  The necessity and justification for the proposed note was outlined in detail in informal documents SCETDG/40/INF.17 and SCEGHS/22/INF.14.

3.  Furthermore, the TDG Sub-Committee recommended an amendment to the proposed wording (see annex III to ST/SG/AC.10/C.3/80). The GHS-Sub-Committee welcomed the proposal and made further suggestions (see informal document SCEGHS/22/INF.14/Rev.1).

4.  This document contains the finalized proposal with a slightly modified wording and an explanation/justification for the proposed modifications of wording.

Proposal

5.   In section 2.1.3 re-number the NOTE after Table 2.1.2 to NOTE 1.

6.   In section 2.1.3 add a new Note under Table 2.1.2 with the following text:

NOTE 2:  Substances and mixtures with a positive result in test series 2 in the UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods, Manual of Tests and Criteria, Part I, section 12, which are exempted from classification as explosives (based on their packaging and the results in test series 6 in the UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods, Manual of Tests and Criteria, Part I, section 16) still have explosive properties. The user should be informed of these intrinsic explosive properties because they have to be considered for handling – especially if the substance or mixture is removed from its packaging or is repackaged – and for storage. For this reason, the explosive properties of the substance or mixture should be communicated in Section 2 (Hazard identification) and Section 9 (Physical and chemical properties) of the Safety Data Sheet in accordance with Table 1.5.2, and other sections of the Safety Data Sheet, as appropriate.

Justification

7.  The experts from Germany, the United States of America, and Canadaare proposing a slightly modified wording for the note. This modification takes into account the proposals (or the underlying intentions) made during the last meetings of both Sub-Committees.

8.  Addition of the reference to the UN Recommendations was taken up as proposed.

9.  Upon reflection the experts from Germany, the United States of America, and Canadahave concluded that it is not appropriate to add "or other properties". The Note is supposed to be applied to substances and mixtures fulfilling the following two conditions:

-  Positive result in test series 2

-  Negative result in test series 6

Regardless of the type of substance (e.g. "normal" explosive or desensitized explosive), the note refers to exemption based on test series 6 and hence is always based on the type of packaging and the properties of the substance in that packaging. The impression that other properties could play a role might result from two of the examples given in the table in informal documents SCETDG/40/INF.17 and SCEGHS/22/INF.14, in which substances that would be covered by the note are listed. Two of the substances are wetted with water. Nevertheless, their exemption from the class of explosives is based on test series 6 and the results in an appropriate transport packaging and not on their dilution with water because even in that dilution they have explosive properties based on test series 2 (see the table in informal documents SCETDG/40/INF.17 and SCEGHS/22/INF.14).

10.  Furthermore, the second sentence is slightly modified because neither the "once" (as contained in the TDG proposal) nor the "in case" (as contained in the GHS-Proposal) are appropriate. The user of a substance should generally be informed about its properties and not only "once" or "in case" he is unpacking the substance (i.e. the conditions for exemption from classification as explosive are no longer met). Information about intrinsic properties to the user via the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) are not linked to any conditions and generally should be given regardless of what the user is planning to do with the substance.

11.   A short reference to handling and storage is added because intrinsic explosive properties are important for these and have to be considered.

12.   A table showing the different versions of the Note is added in the Annex to this document for easy comparison.

联合国危险货物运输专家和全球化学品统一分类和标签制度专家委员会

豁免分类为爆炸物但有爆炸性质的物质和混合物

由德国、美国和加拿大专家提交

介绍

1.  在上次会议中，TDG和GHS分委员会都讨论了关于对豁免分类为爆炸物但有爆炸性质的物质和混合物在GHS中增加一个注释的提案。两个分委员会都原则上同意该提案并希望在下次会议上提交正式文件。

2.  关于提议该注释的必要性和理由在非正式文件SCETDG/40/INF.17和SCEGHS/22/INF.14中详细列出。

3.  另外，TDG分委员会建议对所提议的文字做修订（见ST/SG/AC.10/C.3/80的附件III）。GHS分委员会欢迎提出进一步建议的提案（见非正式文件SCEGHS/22/INF.14/Rev.1)。

4.  本文是最终完成的提案，包括做过微调的文字和对所提议文字修订的解释/理由。

提议

5.  2.1.3部分在表2.1.2后的注释重新编号为注释1。

6.  2.1.3部分在表2.1.2后增加一个新的注释如下：

注2：根据《联合国关于危险货物运输的建议书 试验标准手册》第I部分，12节的试验系列2得到阳性结果的物质和混合物，但可以豁免分类为爆炸物（在它们的包装和根据《联合国关于危险货物运输的建议书 试验标准手册》第I部分，16节的试验系列6的结果基础之上），但仍有爆炸性质。应通知使用者其本身的爆炸性质，使他们在操作和储存时可以加以考虑，特别是在物质或混合物移出包装或重新包装的过程。因此，物质或混合物的爆炸性质应在依据表1.5.2的安全技术说明书的第2部分（危险性概述）和第9部分（理化特性）以及其它合适的部分中给出。

理由

7.  来自德国、美国和加拿大的专家提议对该注释稍微进行文字修改。这一修改考虑了两个分委员会在上次会议上或会下给出的提议。

8.  增加被采纳的提议的UN建议书的参考文件。

9.  经思考后，德国、美国和加拿大的专家认为增加“或其它性质”是不合适的。注释是应用于满足以下两个条件的物质和混合物：

-   试验系列2得出阳性结果

-   试验系列6得出阴性结果

不管物质的类型如何（如：“通常的”爆炸物或减敏爆炸物），该注释提到了豁免是基于试验系列6的，因此总要依据包装的类型以及该包装内物质的性质而定。其它性质可能会有影响的印象可能是从非正式文件SCETDG/40/INF.17和SCEGHS/22/INF.14的表中给出的两个例子而来。那两个物质是以水润湿的。然而它们从爆炸物的分类中豁免是根据试验系列6的结果以及合适的运输包装而得出的，并不是因为它们是用水稀释。因为即使是在稀释物中，根据试验系列2它们仍有爆炸性质（见非正式文件SCETDG/40/INF.17和SCEGHS/22/INF.14中的表）。

10.  此外，第二句稍微作了修改。因为不管“once一旦”（TDG提案中的用词）或“in case万一” （GHS提案中的用词）都不合适。该物质的使用者都应被告知其性质，而不是仅针对“once一旦”或“in case万一”开启该物质包装的使用者（如：不再符合豁免为爆炸物分类的情况下）。通过安全技术说明书(SDS)告知使用者其本身性质的信息并不会和任何情况联系起来，不管使用者计划怎样处理该物质，相关的信息一般都应给出。

11.  对操作和储存部分增加了一些参考，因为本身的爆炸性质对它们很重要，必须要加以考虑。

12.  附件的表给出了该注释的不同版本，以便比较。