GHS ZERO in industry: Product safety begins with the selection of the lubricant
The Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals, or GHS for short, classifies the hazardous properties of chemical substances and mixtures. In Switzerland, this system is incorporated into chemicals legislation via the ChemV. Hazard pictograms on the container label are the most visible indicator of this classification, which triggers a chain of obligations within the organisation. This begins with delivery and only ends upon disposal.
For industrial lubricants and process media, GHS07 ‘Exclamation Mark’ and GHS08 ‘Health Hazard’ are particularly relevant to the health considerations discussed in this article. The specific hazard present is indicated by the corresponding hazard statements in the safety data sheet. This is precisely where GHS ZERO comes in: LAEMMLE Chemicals uses its own label to identify ROXOR lubricants that do not bear a GHS hazard pictogram on the container label. The additional requirements that will later apply to approval, procurement, storage and use are therefore already determined at the product selection stage.
Where the classification becomes relevant in day-to-day operations
A switch to a lubricant without GHS symbols must also be technically assessed, approved and documented. The difference becomes apparent during day-to-day operations. Where a lubricant without a GHS hazard pictogram can be used for a particular application, certain additional requirements linked to its classification are either removed or simplified.
The extent of the impact depends not only on the number of products used, but also on the number of applications and operational areas across which they are distributed. In a metalworking plant, for example, grinding slurry, machining and forming oils, hydraulic oils, slideway oils and lubricating greases may be used simultaneously on different machines and at different lubrication points. In a hydroelectric power station, the media used are more concentrated within clearly defined technical systems such as turbines, hydraulics or gearboxes.
In day-to-day production, this is evident in specific tasks such as refilling, decanting, changing tools and filters, cleaning or maintenance. Depending on the product, additional guidelines for handling and health and safety at work may apply. As the number of different applications grows, so does the need for coordination between SIBE/EHS, production, maintenance, procurement and quality management. Existing approval, procurement and documentation processes remain in place. However, fewer special cases arising from the relevant classification can ease the burden on these processes.
Technical suitability remains, as always, the first filter. Whether it be specification, manufacturer approval, viscosity class, material compatibility or specific requirements such as NSF H1: the lubricant must first and foremost be suitable for the application. GHS ZERO is an additional selection criterion within this technical decision-making process. However, the administrative impact is only one side of the story. The real decision is made where lubricants actually come into contact with people in everyday industrial settings: at the point of exposure.
Where lubricants come into contact with people in the workplace
Where employees come into contact with lubricants depends on the work process. The application, system and task determine the points of contact.
| Situation in the workplace | Typical media and applications | Where contact occurs |
|---|---|---|
| Directly at the processing procedure | Cooling lubricants, grinding slurry, and machining, grinding, forming, deep-drawing and thorn oils | When handling wet workpieces, tools and clamping devices, during tool changes, refilling, cleaning or wiping. Depending on the method and process conditions, splashes, mists or aerosols may also occur. |
| In predominantly closed systems | Hydraulic oils, industrial gear oils, turbine oils, heat transfer fluids and gas engine oils | During sampling, refilling, filter and oil changes, or maintenance. Leaks create additional points of contact; if a leak occurs under pressure, the medium can be finely dispersed. |
| Where air and oil meet | Oils for compressors, vacuum pumps and pneumatic tools | When filling, topping up with oil and when working on filters, separators or condensate. Depending on the system, venting or compressed air may carry oil mist. |
| At lubrication points and on moving components | Slideway and chain oils, greases | When re-lubricating, wiping down, and during bearing and seal work. With chain oils, the method of application changes the situation: drip lubrication, spray application or lubricant flung off by the chain result in different points of contact. |
For production staff, exposure occurs during normal work processes through direct skin contact with wetted workpieces, tools or surfaces and, depending on the process, through mists and aerosols in the immediate vicinity of the process. Depending on the task, contact may be concentrated on a single machine or spread across several pieces of equipment and media.
The frequency, duration and nature of contact vary depending on the application and the work being carried out. For occupational health and safety purposes, it is therefore not only important to consider how exposure occurs, but above all which health-related hazard properties the lubricant in use possesses.
Which hazard properties are relevant to health and safety at work
GHS07 and GHS08 provide an initial guide. The H-statements in the safety data sheet indicate the specific hazard properties present. The Swiss Chemicals Notification Office states that hazard pictograms serve as a general guide, whilst the hazard statements describe the specific hazard in more detail.
For GHS ZERO, it is precisely this distinction that is relevant: the ROXOR lubricants labelled as such do not bear a GHS hazard pictogram on the container label and therefore do not carry either GHS07 or GHS08.
| Relevant to day-to-day work | Typical hazard statements | Labelling |
|---|---|---|
| Skin and eye irritation, skin sensitisation | H315 ‘Causes skin irritation’, H317 ‘May cause an allergic skin reaction’, H319 ‘Causes serious eye irritation’ | GHS07 |
| Adverse health effects or irritation if inhaled | H332 ‘Harmful if inhaled’, H335 ‘May cause respiratory irritation’ | GHS07 |
| Respiratory sensitisation | H334 ‘May cause allergy or asthma-like symptoms or breathing difficulties if inhaled’ | GHS08 |
| Aspiration hazard | H304 ‘May be fatal if swallowed and enters the respiratory tract’ | GHS08 |
| Carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic to reproduction effects | H340 ‘May cause genetic defects’, H341 ‘May cause genetic defects’, H350 ‘May cause cancer’, H351 ‘May cause cancer’, H360 “May impair fertility or cause harm to the unborn child”, H361 ‘May impair fertility or cause harm to the unborn child’ | GHS08 |
| Organ damage following prolonged or repeated exposure | H372 ‘Causes damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure’, H373 ‘May cause damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure’ | GHS08 |
The wording corresponds to the current federal list of H-phrases in accordance with the ChemV, as at 25 November 2025.
How these hazard properties become relevant in the workplace depends on the actual contact. In the case of a lubricating grease, direct skin contact may be the primary concern, whilst for a medium present in the process as a mist or aerosol, exposure via the respiratory tract may be the main concern. The decisive factor is the combination of actual contact and the hazard properties of the product being used.
GHS08 does not automatically indicate CMR. Respiratory sensitisation, aspiration hazard and certain types of organ damage are also indicated by this pictogram. It is also important to distinguish this from exposure via mists and aerosols: H304 does not describe the inhalation of a process mist, but rather the hazard associated with swallowing and the substance entering the respiratory tract.
Particular attention should be paid to CMR substances: CMR stands for carcinogenic, mutagenic and toxic to reproduction. Their hazardous properties are particularly relevant for substitution assessments. Suva points out that illnesses caused by CMR substances often only manifest themselves a long time after exposure. In the case of work-related cancers, years or even decades may elapse between exposure and the first symptoms. Some of these substances may also be classified as SVHCs (Substances of Very High Concern). These include certain CMR substances as well as substances with other properties of very high concern.
This is precisely where substitution comes into play. It is the first step in the STOP principle: where technically and practically possible, hazardous chemicals should be replaced by less hazardous products or technologies. SECO states that hazardous chemicals must be substituted first, before technical, organisational and personal measures are considered.
When selecting products, this means that health-related hazard properties must be taken into account before use. This consideration does not apply to a single product alone. In an industrial setting, lubricants are used on various pieces of plant, in different processes and at various lubrication points. Where technically suitable alternatives with a more favourable health classification are available for several of these applications, product selection can be applied at multiple points of contact within the plant. This brings occupational health and safety back to the starting point: the selection of the lubricant. This is precisely where the GHS-ZERO portfolio comes into play.
GHS ZERO solutions for industrial applications
The GHS-ZERO portfolio comprises GHS-symbol-free lubricants for various industrial applications. According to Section 2 of their safety data sheets, the products listed bear neither GHS07 nor GHS08 and are not classified with the health-related H-statements considered here. Product-specific supplementary hazard statements and environmental hazards remain unaffected by this.
| Field of application | Product groups | ROXOR GHS ZERO products |
|---|---|---|
| Processing & forming | Coolant lubricants and grinding slurry | INTRACOOL OLYMP G-10 |
| Machining and grinding oils | INTRA AURAN Z 22/32 INTRA OMNIA Z 22 INTRA COSMO Z 22 INTRA ENDO Z 22 INTRA BRIA GH 22 | |
| Forming and deep-drawing oils | INTRA TXC 320 INTRA UFS 25 | |
| Thorn oils | MARVIS VITRA 150/220 | |
| Pressure water additives | PREWAT CLEAR | |
| Food & Pharmaceuticals | NSF H1 compressor oils | MARVIS COMP V 32-150 MARVIS VACPUMP 32/68/100 |
| Food-grade oils | MARVIS HYD 32-100 MARVIS HYD SGM 32-100 MARVIS VITRA 150/220 MARVIS GEAR 150-680 MARVIS TEMP 32 MARVIS CHAIN 68/100 WHITE OIL H1 ISO 68 | |
| Food-grade greases | AMBIS MARVIS GREASE 2 MARVIS GREASE 00-2 MARVIS GREASE CLEAR 2 MARVIS GREASE TEF 2 VA GREASE | |
| Hydraulics & Machinery Operation | Hydraulic oils | TERRA PRIME SYNTH 15-68 SAMURAI HLP ISO 32-68 SAMURAI HLP Z ISO 32-68 SAMURAI HVLP ISO 32-68 SAMURAI HVLP Z ISO 32-68 SAMURAI HLP-D 46 HLP PLUS 22-68 HLP ISO 22-320 HLP Z ISO 32-68 HVLP Z ISO 32/46 HLP UNI 22-100 MARVIS HYD 32-100 MARVIS HYD SGM 32-100 INDOL ISO 32-460 TERRA CIRCULAR HV 32/46 HVI ISO 46 TORO HM-Z ISO 46 TORO HM ISO 46 TORO HV ISO 46 |
| Slideway oils | SLIDEWAY ISO 32/68/220 | |
| Compressors, Vacuum & Compressed Air | Compressor oils | COMPRESS SYNTH 46-100 COMPRESS ISO 32-150 |
| Vacuum pump oils | VACPUMP-OIL ISO 46/125 | |
| Compressed air tool oils | CONTACT UNI PRO 22 CONTACT ISO 46/100 CONTACT 800 | |
| Gearboxes & Drives | Industrial gear oils | TECSYNTH 22-680 TECSYNTH 75W-90 SYNTHGEAR 100-460 MECANO ISO 46-680 IG CLP 150/220/320 |
| Chain oils | MARVIS CHAIN 68/100 CHAINLUBE SYNTH 100/220/460 | |
| Energy generation & thermal systems | Gas engine oils | GASMO KG 6 SAE 30/40 |
| Turbine oils | TURWADA ISO 32/46/68/100 TERRA TENSIO SYNTH 32/46 | |
| Heat transfer oils | MARVIS TEMP 32 | |
| Transformer oils | TERRA EV 15 | |
| Lubrication points, components & assembly | Greases | AMBIS MARVIS GREASE 2 MARVIS GREASE 00-2 MARVIS GREASE CLEAR 2 MARVIS GREASE TEF 2 VA GREASE |
| Chain oils | MARVIS CHAIN 68/100 CHAINLUBE SYNTH 100/220/460 |
Are you considering switching to GHS-symbol-free lubricants? Our Sales team will assist you in identifying technically suitable products for your applications and reviewing existing areas of use.
A recent example from the field of grinding technology:
ROXOR INTRACOOL OLYMP G-10
When grinding, the technical suitability of the process medium is of paramount importance.
ROXOR INTRACOOL OLYMP G-10 is a fully synthetic, crystal-clear grinding coolant concentrate. It is suitable for grinding carbide as well as for grinding machines fitted with belt filter systems and settling tanks. The medium can be used on aluminium, non-ferrous metals, castings, low- and high-alloy steels, cemented carbides and titanium.
OLYMP G-10 is also ideally suited for machining plastics. Compared with semi-synthetic or mineral oil-based water-miscible cooling lubricants, the effort required to clean parts can be significantly reduced.
In the grinding process, OLYMP G-10 offers excellent grinding wheel wash-out behaviour with outstanding material removal rates, reduced grinding wheel wear and shorter machining times. It also features a very low tendency to foam and long-term biostability. The formulation is free from glycol, mineral oil, nitrites and chlorine, and is manufactured using skin-friendly additives.
At the same time, OLYMP G-10 is GHS-symbol-free. In this application, therefore, the two key questions come together: Is the medium technically suitable for the process, and what hazard characteristics does it present for operational use?
| CHARACTERISTIC | INFORMATION |
|---|---|
| Formulation | Fully synthetic, crystal-clear, free from glycol and mineral oil, GHS symbol-free |
| Applications | Carbide grinding, grinding machines with belt filter systems and settling tanks, machining of plastics |
| Materials | Plastics, aluminium, non-ferrous metals, castings, low- and high-alloy steels, cemented carbides, titanium |
| Process performance | excellent grinding wheel wash-out behaviour, outstanding material removal rate, reduced grinding wheel wear, reduced machining times |
| Process stability | Very low foaming tendency, long-term biostability, suitable for use from a water hardness of 5 °dH |
| Technical data | Density 1.158 g/cm³ at 15 °C, viscosity 62 mm²/s at 20 °C, pH 8.0 at 4 %, refractometer correction factor 1.5, mineral oil content 0 % |
| Grinding | Minimum concentration 3–4 vol.-% |
| Plastics machining | Minimum concentration 5–6 vol.-%, significantly reduced effort required for cleaning parts compared with the water-miscible cooling lubricants specified in the TDS |
| Containers | Container, 900 kg (770 – 1150 kg) Drum, 180 kg (140 – 230 kg) Tonnelet (small drum), 50 kg (45 – 60 kg) |
Further reading: GHS – the unknown hazard?
What lies behind the aspiration hazard associated with lubricants and what role viscosity plays in their classification.
Author: Nicole Rizzo, Marketing Manager, Industry
Images: iStock
Own illustrations and image editing: LAEMMLE Chemicals AG
AI-generated and AI-edited images:
Sources and further information
GHS / ChemV / Labelling
→ GHS Fundamentals – UNECE: Globally Harmonised System, Revision 11 (2025)
→ ChemV – Chemicals Registration Office: Chemicals Ordinance and legal classification
→ GHS / CLP – Chemicals Notification Authority: Classification and labelling
→ Labelling – Chemicals Registration Authority: Hazard pictograms and hazard statements
→ Hazard pictograms – Chemicals Registration Authority: GHS07 and GHS08
→ H-phrases – Chemicals Registration Authority: Official list DE / FR / IT / EN, 25 November 2025
SVHC
→ SVHC Switzerland – Chemicals Notification Office: List of substances of very high concern
Risk assessment / workplace handling
→ SECO – Risk assessment for chemicals and assessment of substitution options
STOP principle / Substitution
→ SECO – Protective measures: Hierarchy based on the STOP principle
→ Suva – Protective measures for chemicals posing a particular risk to health
CMR / long-term health effects
→ Suva – CMR substances: definition and properties
→ Suva – CMR substances: Long-term exposure and occupational cancer
Lubricants / real-world exposure
→ Suva – Lubricants and skin diseases: Skin contact and cooling lubricants
Note: This article is intended to provide general technical information and is no substitute for a site-specific risk assessment. The decisive factors are technical suitability, current labelling, the relevant safety data sheets (MSDS) and the applicable regulations. The absence of GHS symbols does not mean that a product is safe under all conditions of use.