An International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS) meeting to peer review new and revised International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs) was organized by the Agenzia Regionale Prevenzione e Ambiente (ARPA) in Ravenna, Italy, 9-13 October. Participants included a total of 20 experts in chemical safety, toxicology, environmental protection and emergency response from ICSC Participating Institutions in 12 countries*, along with observers from the European Commission and ARPA and participants from ILO/CIS and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Discussions at the plenary sessions focused on changes to the ICSC Compiler's Guide, in particular the need to harmonize the ICSC criteria with those of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). Presentations were also made by András Szücs (ILO/CIS) on the current situation regarding the development of a multilingual Internet-based system for the ICSCs and by Lesley Onyon (WHO/IPCS) on developments in the international implementation of the GHS.

A total of 54 cards were peer-reviewed: 21 new cards and 33 updated. A further 100 cards were also fast-track updated. The new and revised cards will eventually be made available on the CIS site at www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework/cis/products/icsc/index.htm

The next peer review meeting will be held in April 2007, the venue is still to be confirmed.

* Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, United Kingdom.