Classifying and labelling chemicals
The CLP Regulations (Classification, Labelling and Packaging of Hazardous Substances and Mixtures Regulations) regulate how chemicals should be classified, labelled and packaged before being placed on the market.
If you manufacture or supply chemical substances, products or mixtures in Northern Ireland or Scotland, you must classify and label them according to the applicable CLP rules before you put them on the market.
- Scotland follows GB CLP Regulations administered by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
- Northern Ireland continues to apply the EU CLP Regulations administered in part by the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI)
Certain products are exempt from CLP, such as:
- medicines
- food
- cosmetics
What you must do
Classify your chemicals
You must determine whether the chemical substances or products, for example paints or inks, you manufacture, or supply are hazardous. This is known as classification.
You must identify any hazards your chemical or product poses, including:
- Physical hazards
- Health hazards
- Environmental hazards
Chemical hazards can be classified as:
- explosive
- oxidising
- flammable
- toxic
- harmful
- corrosive
- irritant
- dangerous for the environment
Label your chemicals
If the products are classified as hazardous, you must provide clear hazard information to users through appropriate labelling. Labels must include:
- Hazard pictograms
- Signal words
- Hazard statements
- Precautionary statement
This helps ensure the safety of users and protection of the environment.
You must also package your products securely, inline with the CLP requirements.
For guidance:
- In Scotland – visit HSE Labelling and packaging
- In Northern Ireland – visit HSENI Classification, Labelling and Packaging
Use of Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS).
CLP is aligned with the Globally Harmonised System (GHS) of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals. Under both GB CLP and EU CLP, you must use GHS criteria for:
- substances, including chemical elements (eg arsenic) or compounds (eg acetone) and
- mixtures or solutions (eg paints or inks).
Notification duties
Northern Ireland (EU CLP)
If you are based in Northern Ireland and place a hazardous substance or mixture on the market, you may need to notify the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA): This includes:
- Hazardous substance on the market in any quantity
- Hazardous mixtures above concentration limits specified in Annex I of CLP or in Schedule 3 of CHIP
- Substances registered under the REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of Chemicals) Regulation.
You must notify the C&L Inventory within one month of placing a substance on the market. You must do this online at the REACH-IT portal on the ECHA website - REACH-IT - ECHA
ECHA has produced guidance, including a questions and answers document, covering the classification, labelling and packaging, and notification of substances and mixtures using the CLP Regulation.
Scotland (GB CLP)
In Scotland, notifications must be made to the UK’s Classification and Labelling inventory via the comply with REACH system on the HSE website - UK REACH: Using the Comply with UK REACH service
Use safety data sheets (SDS)
If your products contain hazardous substances, you may need to provide a safety data sheet (SDS), to inform users of:
- the chemical or product hazards
- precautionary measures
- emergency measures
Providing a SDS is now a requirement of the REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of Chemicals) Regulation (Both GB REACH and EU REACH, depending on jurisdiction).
For guidance on SDS see:
HSE: REACH and safety data sheets
HSENI: REACH Safety Data Sheets
Employers must make all staff aware of the SDS for any hazardous substance or mixtures that they handle, store or dispose of. If you receive a chemical without a SDS, contact your supplier to find out whether or not they have to provide one.
Health and safety legislation (COSHH)
If you store hazardous chemicals you must comply with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations, which apply UK wide. This includes:
- Risk assessments
- Exposure control measures
- Safe working practices
Keep a copy of the SDS for all the chemicals you use and check to see if the substances are hazardous.
For more information on COSHH, see the HSE website.
HSE: COSHH - A brief guide to the regulations (Adobe PDF - 188KB
HSENI: Guidance pages for COSHH
Further information on classifying and labelling chemicals
European Commission: Classification, labelling and packaging of chemical substances and mixtures