Chemicals information and packaging

Suppliers must now classify and label substances and mixtures according to the European Regulation on Classification, Labelling and Packaging of Substances and Mixtures, known as the CLP Regulation, which replaced the former regime known as CHIP 4. The CLP Regulation implements the United Nations’ Globally Harmonised System (GHS), which replaced different laws across the world controlling how the hazardous properties of chemicals are described and how this information is given to those using them. CLP is directly-acting in all EU member states, meaning that it did not need to be enacted in UK regulations to become law. The regulation became mandatory for substances on 1 December 2010 and for mixtures on 1 June 2015. At this point, the CHIP 4 regulations were repealed in full in the UK.

The current regime uses CLP symbols (black symbols on white with a red diamond-shaped border) rather than the previous CHIP symbols (black on orange squares). More information can be found on the Chemical Classification pages of the HSE website, along with further information on the United Nations’ Globally Harmonised System.

HSE guidance on the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations (L64), was revised to bring it up to date with regulatory and other changes, including those arising from the Classification, Labelling and Packaging of Chemicals (Amendments to Secondary Legislation) Regulations 2015. This guidance can be downloaded from the HSE website.