Chemicals information and packaging

The European Regulation on Classification, Labelling and Packaging of Substances and Mixtures — known as the CLP Regulation has now fully replaced the Chemicals (Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply) Regulations 2009 (CHIP 4). The CLP Regulation implements the United Nations’ Globally Harmonised System (GHS). This replaces different laws across the world controlling how the hazardous properties of chemicals are described and how this information is given to those using them. The CLP Regulation is directly-acting in all EU member states. This means that it does not need to be enacted in UK regulations in order to become law. The regulation was introduced over a lengthy transitional period so while it became mandatory for substances on 1 December 2010, it did not come into force until 1 June 2015 for mixtures. At this point the CHIP 4 Regulations were repealed in full in the UK.

Suppliers must now classify and label according to CLP, using CLP symbols (black symbols on white with a red diamond-shaped border) rather than CHIP 4, using CHIP symbols (black on orange squares).