From 1st June 2015 all products will be labelled under the new Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS).
It is implemented in the EU via the Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation (CLP), where previously chemical products were regulated in the UK under CHIP.
New red diamond shaped Hazard Pictograms will replace the orange square Hazard Symbols, though some of the internal images are similar.
The presence of a new Hazard Pictogram on a label does not necessarily signify a change in the formulation, and could just be a consequence of compliance with the new classification system
As before, a system of calculations and thresholds is used to classify products. However, some of the threshold levels under CLP are lower than under CHIP.
For example under the CHIP system a product would need to contain more than 20% of an ingredient classified as R36 (Irritating to eyes) to trigger an ‘Irritant’ hazard symbol but under CLP this is reduced to 10% to trigger a hazard pictogram. This may result in many products being classified where previously they were not.
All Safety Data Sheets can be downloaded directly from each products page of our website