Conducting GHS Comprehensibility Testing

1. Conducting GHS Comprehensibility Testing UNITAR Chemicals and Waste Management Programme Date: Location:

2. Outline • CT package • CT modules • General Issues for Testing • Interviewers Guidelines • Some results from countries

4. CT Package • The GHS CT Manual: This manual provides a description of the testing procedure, including an overview of the questionnaire, its modules, objectives, and expected outcomes, as well as general issues related to testing. • Questionnaire: This form describes the pre-interview text to be read, and gives instructions on how each question should be asked and how the information should be recorded.Space is provided to interviewers for recording respondent answers. • Guidelines for Interviewers: These guidelines provide information on how to administer face to face questionnaires. • Sample Safety Data Sheets, labels and pictogram table: Sample SDSs and labels and a pictogram table are provided to be used with the modules and are given to respondents to test their comprehension of hazard communication elements.

5. CT Questionnaire Modules • Module 1: General Interview • Module 2: General Comprehensibility of Labels • Module 3: General Comprehensibility of Safety Data Sheets • Module 4: Safety Data Sheets and Labels • Module 5: Comprehension of Pictograms and Hazard Communication Elements • Module 6: Post Interview • Annexes

6. Module 1: General interview Objectives • To collect general demographic data as a basis for analysis of comprehensibility. • To ascertain linguistic, educational and work experience as possible factors influencing comprehension.

7. Module 1, cont’ • Audience: To be completed by all sectors • Design: Descriptive data collection to inform analyses of subsequent modules. • Approximate Duration: 5 minutes • Tools: No labels or SDSs are required for this module

8. Module 2:General comprehensibility of labels Objectives • To evaluate subjects' familiarity with a label, in visual identification, name and use. • To examine the order in which subjects recall label elements. • Assess the ease of understanding the label. • To test the comprehensibility of hazard statements. • To evaluate subjects’ ability to identify precautionary statements on a label.

9. Module 2, cont’ • Audience: To be completed by all sectors • Design: General questions about familiarity with labels; review of sample label with questions based on label. • Approximate Duration: 15 minutes • Tools: Label 1 is required for Module 2

10. Module 3: General Comprehensibility of Safety Data Sheets Objectives • To evaluate subjects' familiarity with a SDS, in visual identification, name and use. • To assess the ease of understanding and identifying information on the SDS.

11. Module 3, cont’ • Audience: Consumers are not tested on SDSs. Therefore, this module is left out of the questionnaires for respondents from the consumer sector. • Design: General questions about familiarity with SDSs; Review of sample SDS with questions based on SDS. • Approximate Duration: 10 minutes • Tools: SDS 1 is required for Module 3

12. Module 4: Safety Data Sheets and Labels Objective • To observe subjects’ use of the label and SDS in finding necessary and relevant information related to the chemical.

13. Module 4, cont’ • Audience: Consumers are not tested on SDSs. Therefore, this module is left out of the questionnaires for respondents from the consumer sector. • Design: Questions are focused on identifying information, where the subject can either look in the SDS or the label. • Approximate Duration: 10 minutes • Tools: SDS and label 2 are required for Module 4

14. Module 5: Comprehension of Pictograms and Hazard Communication Elements Objectives • To test subjects' ability to identify possible hazards associated with particular pictograms. • To assess subjects’ understanding of what pictograms should be used with which hazards. • To evaluate subjects’ ability to discern more and less hazardous chemicals from particular hazard communication elements.

15. Module 5, cont’ • Audience: To be completed by all sectors • Design: Subjects are asked to relate pictograms with hazards, and to identifying the severity of hazards by comparing hazard communication elements • Approximate Duration: 15 minutes • Tools: Label 1 and 2, and table 1 are required for module 5

16. Module 6: Post Interview Objectives • To ascertain exposure to chemicals and training. • To identify chemical information needs from subjects.

17. Module 6, cont’ • Audience: To be completed by all sectors • Design: Descriptive data collection to inform analyses of preceding modules. • Approximate Duration: 10 minutes • Tools: No labels or SDS's are required for this module

18. Annexes • Table of GHS pictograms with their hazards • Useful definitions

19. General Issues for Testing • Always introduce yourself first as an interviewer and the organization you present • Before conducting any of the modules in this instrument, participants should first give informed consent • Consent procedures are outlined in the opening section of module 1 • Testing is not a Test!

20. Principles for interviewers • Follow the written instructions and read the questions word for word • Be neutral, but pay attention • Consistency is important: • Asking the same questions in the same way to each person being interviewed

21. The 10 Commandments of Interviewing 1. Never begin an interview cold 2. Remember your purpose 3. Be natural 4. Show that you are listening them 5. Think about appearance 6. Interview in a comfortable place 7. Don’t be happy with just one–word answers 8. Be respectful 9. Practice, practice and practice some more 10. Be polite and thankful

22. Policy on rewards or compensation to participants • not required • provide something to acknowledge appreciation • for example: certificate or label card • consumers sector may receive a modest payment

24. Examples of results of CT • In Indonesia: labels and SDS were most familiar to people from the industrial and transport sectors • Pictogram is generally the easiest thing to identify and remember • Skull and crossbones and flame were most familiar pictograms

25. Interpretations of pictograms • Related to spirituality • Hand washing soap or hand cream

26. Thank your very much for your attention. Now it is time to practice!