All chemicals are generally subject to classification and labeling requirements before they are placed on the market. By identifying hazardous substance properties and marking them with hazard symbols, the aim is to protect people and the environment from negative effects when handling chemicals.

However, there are very different systems of classification and labeling of chemicals worldwide. It can therefore happen that a substance or mixture of substances is classified and treated as hazardous in one country and not in another.

With the so-called “Globally Harmonized System” (GHS), the UN laid the foundations for standardization at the 1992 Sustainability Conference in Rio de Janeiro.