GHS refers to the "Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals", proposed at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in 1992. In 2002, the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and the United Nations Economic and Social Council Subcommittee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (UN TDG) completed the first version of the "Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS)", which was officially adopted and released in 2003. According to regulations, GHS is updated every 2 years, and the current new version is the seventh revised edition in 2017.

The main contents of GHS include: firstly, establishing coordinated criteria for chemical classification, namely hazard classification, which includes physical hazards, health hazards, and environmental hazards; The second is to establish a coordinated means of transmitting hazard information, including labels and chemical safety technical specifications (MSDS).

The purpose of implementing GHS is to enhance public understanding of chemicals, reduce the harm caused by chemicals to humans and the environment, and lower the cost of international chemical trade.