THE UK HAS HAD ITS CHIPS

8th July 2015

The law about chemical hazards has changed – EU ‘CLP’ takes over from UK ‘CHIP’

The old CHIP icons

The European Directives for Dangerous Preparations (DPD) and Dangerous Substances (DSD) were enacted into UK law via the Chemicals (Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply) Regulations 2009 (known as CHIP). This used familiar orange and black icons to classify and communicate different sorts of chemical hazard.

The EU has now enacted EU-wide legislation to cover the same purpose and reflect the UN’s GHS (Global Harmonised System) and this now supercedes the UK’s CHIP regs.
The icons for classification, packaging and labelling/communication have changed to red white and black.

The new CLP icons

If you use chemicals at work, you should:

  1. Lookout for the changes and check that you are doing what is needed to use the chemical safely.
  2. If you are an employer, alert your employees to these changes too and provide your employees with adequate information, instruction and training.
  3. Speak to your chemical suppliers if you have any questions or if you don’t understand the changes that have been made.
  4. Follow the advice provided on the new labels and, where appropriate, in Safety Data Sheets

Other regs such as CoSHH still apply.

For more info, call BSA on 01483 467270 or see the HSE website.