On May 7, 2026, the Ministry of Labor of Taiwan, China, issued a public notice announcing a proposed draft amendment on partial articles and Appendix 1 of Article 5 and Appendix 3 and 4 of Article 12 of the Regulations for the Labeling and Hazard Communication of Hazardous Chemicals.
Background
The Regulations for the Labeling and Hazard Communication of Hazardous Chemicals were established under the authorization of Paragraph 3, Article 10 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Since their promulgation and implementation on October 19, 2007, they have been amended twice, most recently on November 9, 2018. To align with the 8th revised edition of the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (UN GHS) and the latest content of Taiwan Standard CNS 15030, as well as to strengthen the accuracy of safety data sheets (SDS) provided by upstream manufacturers, the Ministry of Labor has proposed this amendment draft.
Eight Major Amendments
Clarify Exemptions, Split "Drugs" into "Pharmaceuticals" and "Medical Devices" (Amended Article 4)
The original term "drugs" is split into "pharmaceuticals" and "medical devices" as two separate items. Items not subject to these Rules include: industrial waste, tobacco or tobacco products, foods, beverages, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, cosmetics, finished products, general consumer goods for non-industrial use, fire extinguishers, intermediates undergoing chemical reactions in reaction vessels, and other items designated by the competent authority.
Adjust Hazard Classification and Control Values (Amended Appendix 1 of Article 5, Appendix 3 of Article 12)
- Based on UN GHS 8th edition and CNS 15030, add the hazard category "Desensitized Explosives". Classify "Flammable Gases Category 1" into subcategories 1A and 1B. Amend "Flammable Aerosols" to "Aerosols and Pressurized Chemicals".
- For Respiratory Sensitizers Category 1 and Skin Sensitizers Category 1, if data for sub-categorization is insufficient, they may be classified as Category 1.
- Referring to international practices of the US, EU, Japan, Korea, etc., delete Acute Toxicity Category 5, Skin Corrosion/Irritation Category 3, and Aspiration Hazard Category 2.
- Regarding control values: the control value for respiratory or skin sensitizers is revised to 0.1%; a new control value of 1.0% is added for Aspiration Hazard Category 1.
Revise Parts of the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) (Amended Appendix 4 of Article 12)
Based on UN GHS 8th edition: Section 3 (Composition/Information on Ingredients) removes the "Chemical nature" field; Section 9 (Physical and chemical properties) removes "Odour threshold" and "Evaporation rate", adds "Kinematic viscosity" and "Particle characteristics"; Section 14 (Transport information) adds "Bulk transport" requirements; Section 16 (Other information) removes the "Preparer" field.
Add Provisions for Correction of SDS Errors (New Article 15-1)
If an SDS provided by a manufacturer, importer, or supplier contains miswriting, omissions, or other obvious errors, the competent authority or labor inspection agency will issue a notice requiring correction within a specified period. Failure to make corrections by the deadline will result in a fine, and the name of the business entity/employer, responsible person, sanction date, violated provision, and fine amount will be made public.
Delete the Transitional Measure Linking Transport Labeling with GHS Labeling (Deleted Article 16)
Given that the nine transport hazard classes under the UN Recommendations have been harmonized with GHS labeling, the original Article 16 (which required a designated person to confirm labeling conversion when transport vehicles entered the workplace) is deleted.
Add that Ingredients with Aspiration Hazard Category 1 are Not Eligible for SDS CBI Confidentiality Application (Amended Article 18-1)
If a hazardous chemical ingredient falls under Aspiration Hazard Category 1, an application to keep the content of the SDS confidential (CBI claim) shall not be permitted.
Set Effective Dates (Amended Article 23)
The amended provisions take effect from the date of promulgation, except for Appendix 1 of Article 5 and Appendix 4 of Article 12, which take effect on January 1, 2028.
Public Consultation
Any comments or suggestions regarding this notice should be submitted to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the Ministry of Labor within 60 days from the day following the official gazette publication, using the provided comment form.
CIRS Reminders
Regarding this amendment draft to the Regulations for the Labeling and Hazard Communication of Hazardous Chemicals, CIRS Group reminds relevant enterprises to pay attention to the following:
Make use of the transition period and start compliance adjustments early. Some provisions have a grace period until 2028. Enterprises are advised to benchmark against UN GHS 8th edition and the new CNS 15030 standards in advance, and prepare to update classifications, labels, and SDSs.
Comprehensively review hazard classifications of chemicals. Pay attention to newly added hazard categories, splitting and renaming of some categories, and deleted categories. Re-evaluate classification conclusions for relevant products.
Revise SDSs according to the new format. The new SDS version removes several old fields, adds necessary technical parameters and transport provisions. Enterprises should update their templates and review existing SDSs promptly to avoid errors or omissions.
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