Chemical products and CLP regulations: companies getting ready for the new system

Around 80 people participated in the conference "CLP2015: classification and labelling of mixtures - Communication for safe use of chemicals", organised on March 31st, 2015 by the REACH & CLP Helpdesk Luxembourg, a service of the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), with support from the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Infrastructure and the Ministry of Economy.

New CLP regulations

The event aimed to educate participants on the deadline - on June 1st, 2015 - of the European regulation on the Classification, Labelling and packaging (CLP) of chemical substances and mixtures. From that date, a significant quantity of consumer products such as paint and detergent, as well as industrial mixtures, must be re-labelled with new hazard pictograms  to comply with the CLP Regulations and their updated Security Data Forms. Industrial companies should take immediate action!

Companies and their employees will need to manage the transition towards this new labelling and classification system. In addition to the need for re-labelling, the classification of chemical product triggers other obligations: the protection of workers, classified installation, etc.

A look back at the event

A day devoted to the sharing of experience and recommendations, this event brought together specialists from the chemical sector, whose presentations highlighted the major developments in recent years in requirements related to Safety Data Sheets, classification, and labelling of hazardous chemical products and the associated challenges.

Laurène Chochois and Virginie Piaton, from the REACH&CLP Helpdesk Luxembourg, reiterated the key points and the essential obligations for users of chemical products. They also took stock of the latest developments and available tools, as well as frequently asked questions related to preparing for June 1st, 2015. They were followed by Gaëlle Duffort from the French National Institute of the Industrial Environment and Risks (INERIS) whose presentation aimed to help industrial companies better assess the possible changes of classification for their chemical substances and mixtures, and the corresponding labelling and Safety Data Sheets updates.

The focus then switched to the management of Safety Data Sheets with the aim of communicating on the safe use of chemicals. Examples of good practice for transmitting information were presented, as well as the impacts of CLP on the Safety Data Sheets. In this context, Laurène Chochois laid down the regulatory requirements related to exposure scenarios annexed to the Safety Data Sheets. Finally, Catherine Heinrichs from the company Peinture Robin presented a practical example showing the impacts linked with the choice of new labels, the stock management and new tools to be implemented. This illustration outlined the transition management towards the new classification and labelling system.

Helpdesk REACH&CLP forthcoming events

Find more information on the Helpdesk REACH&CLP Luxembourg on www.reach.lu. The upcoming sessions for 2015 will deal with:

• new hazard pictograms for chemical products, on June 9, 2015 in German and on June 30, 2015 in French
• a training in the REACH Excel Tool, which facilitates taking an inventory of chemicals, on October 1, 2015
• the implementation of REACH&CLP regulations and challenges to come, on December 3, 2015.