ECHA announce that the list of harmonised classifications has been updated

The European Commission recently amended (EU 2016/918) the Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation, updating the list of substances with a harmonised classification. Companies have to apply the revised classifications for the safe use of these chemicals by 1 March 2018 at the latest.

The amendment (the ninth adaptation to technical progress) introduces or updates the harmonised classifications for forty-seven substances in the list of harmonised classification (Annex VI to the CLP Regulation). Two entries have been deleted, the existing classifications for bisphenol A, among others, have been revised, and classifications for eight anticoagulant rodenticide active substances have been updated or introduced.

In total, new harmonised classifications have been assigned to twenty-six substances or groups of substances that have not been previously classified, such as lead in massive or powder form. These changes shall apply by 1 March 2018, but they can be applied before this date on a voluntary basis.

Companies have to comply with the new requirements from 1 March 2018 onwards. This means also that existing classifications and REACH registrations should be updated with the new information by this date.

In addition, the ninth adaptation deletes Table 3.2 from Annex VI to the CLP Regulation which contains the harmonised classification and labelling according to the repealed Dangerous Substances Directive (DSD). As of 1 June 2017, these are no longer required either for product classification and labelling, or to be listed on the safety data sheets for mixtures.

The Commission has also published another amendment (the eighth adaptation to technical progress) aligning the CLP Regulation with the fifth revision of the UN’s Globally Harmonised System (GHS) of classification and labelling of chemicals. This adaptation includes, for example, a revision of the criteria for skin corrosion/irritation and serious eye damage/eye irritation. The new rules apply from 1 February 2018, but may be applied voluntarily before this date.