Retailers find guidance to CLP

Feb. 2, 2015 - PRLog -- The REACH Centre and the British Retail Consortium have published a "Retailers Guide to CLP" providing useful guidance on Classification, Labelling and Packing. The Guide is currently only available to members of the British Retail Consortium.

Any retailer supplying chemicals in any volume needs to know about the changes to the law. The UK CHIP (Chemicals Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply) regulation is being replaced by the new European Regulation on Classification, Labelling and Packaging of substances and mixtures, known as CLP. This means that if you supply a mixture (formally known as a 'preparation' under CHIP) you will have to apply the CLP Regulation from 1 June 2015 onwards. The new CLP Regulation not only requires re-classification of mixtures and making changes to labels, it also has a potential impact on which products will be suitable for the consumer market, as some of the hazard thresholds are lower under CLP and therefore additional and/or more severe hazard symbols will be required.

The guidance document shows timelines and obligations for compliance and highlights key areas of concern, such as mixtures of chemicals not formerly considered as hazardous that will now be classified as hazardous. It explains hazard communication requirements for point of sales and catalogues and shows the new hazard symbols and their meaning. A spokesperson for the British Retail Consortium says: "The document is essential to all retailers as our industry still faces many difficulties in the supply chain in implementing the labelling changes. We urge all our members to get in touch and download the guide."

The guide was prepared by The REACH Centre's Hazard Communication Services department which provides advice and services relating to (extended) Safety Data Sheets and CLP as well as training in those areas. Dr Sandra Meijer, The REACH Centre's Director of Business Development affirms: "From our work with retail clients we are well aware of the difficulties imposed by classification updates under CLP. Using practical examples, the guide is a first point of reference to any retailers dealing with chemicals."

To find out more about the CLP guidance, contact the British Retail Consortium. For further advice and training on the CLP, visit The REACH Centre website: www.thereachcentre.com