Chemical Packaging Changes | CLP Regulations

Changes to labels on chemical packaging (CLP Regulations)

In this article, we’re looking at the recent changes to labels on chemical packaging.

The CLP Regulation, which deals with classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures, came into force in January 2009. CLP adopts the United Nations’ Globally Harmonised System (GHS) on the classification and labelling of chemicals (GHS) across all European Union countries, including the UK.

GHS is a voluntary agreement rather than a law, so it has to be adopted through a suitable national or regional legal mechanism to ensure it becomes legally binding. This is what the CLP Regulation does.

As GHS was heavily influenced by the old EU system, the CLP Regulation is very similar in many ways. The duties on suppliers are broadly the same: classification, labelling and packaging.

CLP uses a new set of hazard pictograms (quite similar to the old ones):

CLP

If you use chemicals at work, you should:

look out for the changes and check that you are doing what is needed to use the chemical safely
If you are an employer, alert your employees to these changes, too
Speak to your chemical suppliers if you have any questions or if you don’t understand the changes that have been made
If you are an employer, provide your employees with adequate information, instruction and training
follow the advice provided on the new labels and, where appropriate, in Safety Data Sheets

COSHH Assessment

Remember that other laws apply when using chemicals at work to ensure the protection of workers. For information about the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) follow this link.

There are some groups to which the CLP Regulations do not apply

While most industrial chemicals are covered by the CLP Regulation, some chemicals that have a more specialised job are covered by more specific legislation.

The CLP Regulation does not apply to the following chemicals:

radioactive substances and mixtures
substances and mixtures subject to customs supervision
non-isolated intermediaries
substances and mixtures for scientific research and development which are not placed on the market and are only used in controlled conditions
waste

The CLP Regulation does not apply to the following chemicals which are in the finished state intended for the final user:

medicines
medical devices
veterinary medicines
cosmetics
food
feeding stuffs (i.e. food additive; food flavouring; feeding stuffs used in animal nutrition)