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| Website: | chemicallabels-uk.com |
Chemical Labels are required on all sorts of products in use these days. Whether you are an industrial supplier of detergents or pesticides, or a smaller manufacturer, the labels you use are governed by law. These laws are issued by each individual nation but they are following an internationally recognised system.
These laws are designed to provide a range of protections for the environment, society and for the people using the chemicals at that time. They apply to individual chemicals (e.g. acetone) as well as chemical mixtures such as detergents.
Chemical labelling laws are being harmonised across the globe under a United Nations initiative. The Global Harmonised System of Classification (knows as GHS), is a scheme of labelling rules that can be adopted by governments across the globe to ensure chemicals and the risks associated with them can be interpreted irrespective of national boundaries.
Along with the content of the label, the materials use to manufacture the label may have to meet rigorous standards. If the chemicals are intended to travel at sea, the label material and ink must be able to withstand environmental wear including submersion in sea water. Believe it or not, the international standard used in a British Standard known as BS5609 - submersion in the English Channel for 3 months!
The chemical label material must survive without significant shrinkage or deformation or break up. The adhesive must be strong enough to withstand the seawater and the inks used on the substrate must be fast enough to remain legible.
With the indestructibility established, the label itself must adhere to the key requirements of the GHS. Chemical labels display written text that is obviously only legible to a native speaker of the language.
To overcome this, pictograms are used. There are a total of 9 pictograms covering physical, health and environmental risks. All the warning symbols include a red bordered diamond square tilted 45 degrees. In the UK at least, the old orange and black symbols have now been ruled illegal.
A circle disintegrating with lines coming out of it constitutes and explosive risk. Flames with a flat line underneath indicate a substance that is flammable. Flames atop a circle indicate that the chemical can either intensify a fire or can burn spontaneously or burn in the absence of oxygen.
The black rounded rectangle with a line coming from one end (which looks like a cricket bat on its side) indicates compressed gas which should be kept away from heat and may release very cold gases when opened.
A hand or black line with a test tube indicates corrosive chemicals that should be kept away from people and metals - protective clothing should be worn too. The exclamation mark indicates that the chemical may be an irritant.
Finally, chemical labels bearing the skull and cross bones indicate toxic chemicals. A human head and shoulders with a 'disrupted' white star indicate risk to long term health. The black leafless tree and up-turned fish indicate that the chemicals are extremely toxic to aquatic life and the environment.
Under EU law, the chemical labels must also include statements to describe the hazards, precautions and remedial actions supply chain handlers and end users should take when handling the chemicals. These statements are very rigid so as to avoid any confusion and this assists in making chemical labels 'borderless'.
If you meet these requirements with your chemical labels, you should have no problems with the authorities!
