Chemical safety in the EU: notification obligations of the CLP Regulation and the role of the UFI label
The safe handling and proper notification of chemicals are key elements of EU chemicals legislation. This article discusses the notification obligations under the CLP Regulation, the role of the UFI label and the transition periods for companies to adapt to the new requirements.
Notification of hazardous mixtures to Poison Centres under the CLP Regulation
Based on the UN Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS), the CLP Regulation is just one part of EU chemicals legislation and is linked to a number of other pieces of legislation, such as REACH, which aims to protect people and the environment from the harmful effects of chemicals.
UFI: Unique Formula Identifier for the secure identification of chemical products
In 2017, Annex VIII was added to the CLP Regulation to harmonise the information on chemicals to be submitted to Poison Centres. Notifications are made to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and the obligation applies to mixtures that are hazardous to health or pose a physical hazard. Importers, manufacturers or repackers and distributors that submit notifications must ensure that products are notified in all countries where they are placed on the market.
The notification must include the following information:
- Information about the notifier
- Product identifier and UFI of the mixture
- Classification of the mixture and hazard statements
- Toxicological information
- Full composition of the mixture and details of the ingredients
Other information, such as types and sizes of packaging, pH, formulation and product category
Each mixture is assigned a Unique Formula Identifier (UFI) to enable the Poison Centre to identify the product in case of poisoning and link it to the correct hazard information. The UFI is a 16-character combination of numbers and letters.
The UFI is placed on or near the warning label of the mixture, but for industrial and non-prepackaged mixtures it can be added to the safety data sheet. In addition, for certain chemicals, a chemical notification to the Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes) is still required under national chemicals legislation.
Example of a product label with UFI code.
Transitional period for the notification obligation will end soon
In our previous article we reported on the entry into force on 1 January 2021 of the notification requirement for mixtures for consumer and professional use. For mixtures for industrial use, notification was required from 1 January 2024.
If a company has submitted a national chemical notification for a product on the market before the above-mentioned application dates, there is a transitional period until 1 January 2025 for notification under the new information requirements.
At Algol Chemicals, we have been making Poison Centre notifications within the transition periods and have notified UFIs in the supply chain as they have become available. UFI identifiers are already on the majority of our safety data sheets and labels.
Algol Chemicals is committed to promoting safety in the supply chain
In addition to supply-related product documentation, we provide our customers with advice and training on the safe handling and storage of products, as well as Safety Data Sheet preparing and labelling services.
For more information on your company's product requirements, please contact our Sales Managers or our HSEQ experts.