Cleaning chemicals are regulated by the CLP Regulation. The safety data sheet has 16 fixed sections, and the label carries a signal word, H- and P-statements, plus one or more of the 9 hazard pictograms. Here is what they mean.
Introduction
Classification, labelling and packaging of chemicals in the EU is governed by the CLP Regulation (EC No 1272/2008), which is based on the UN's Globally Harmonised System (GHS). In Denmark the Danish EPA (Miljøstyrelsen) supervises labelling, and the Danish Working Environment Authority (Arbejdstilsynet) the working environment. Since 2017 only the red/white hazard pictograms are valid.
Signal words, H and P statements
The label carries a signal word: either 'Danger' (the most hazardous substances/mixtures) or 'Warning'. Accompanying it are H-statements (hazard statements — what the hazard is) and P-statements (precautionary statements — how you protect yourself). They must appear on both the label and the safety data sheet.
The 9 CLP hazard pictograms (GHS01–GHS09)
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| GHS01 | Explosive (unstable explosives, self-reactive substances, organic peroxides). |
| GHS02 | Flammable (gases, aerosols, liquids, solids; pyrophoric). |
| GHS03 | Oxidising (oxidising gases, liquids, solids). |
| GHS04 | Gas under pressure (compressed, liquefied or refrigerated gas). |
| GHS05 | Caustic/corrosive (skin/eye damage, metal corrosion). |
| GHS06 | Acute toxicity — skull and crossbones (acutely toxic, high hazard). |
| GHS07 | Health hazard/local irritant — exclamation mark (skin/eye/respiratory irritation). |
| GHS08 | Chronic/serious health hazard (cancer, mutagenic, reproductive, target organ). |
| GHS09 | Environmentally hazardous (hazard to the aquatic environment). |
The 16 sections of the safety data sheet
For hazardous substances/mixtures a safety data sheet (SDS) must be drawn up under REACH/CLP in the country's language. It has 16 mandatory sections with a fixed structure:
- 011) Identification · 2) Hazard identification · 3) Composition · 4) First aid
- 025) Fire-fighting · 6) Measures in case of release · 7) Handling and storage
- 038) Exposure controls/personal protective equipment · 9) Physical and chemical properties
- 0410) Stability/reactivity · 11) Toxicological information · 12) Ecological information
- 0513) Disposal · 14) Transport · 15) Regulatory information · 16) Other information
What the cleaner should use each point for
The 16 points are not just formalities. In daily work, especially a handful of them are what you must be able to look up before using an agent:
| Point | Used in practice |
|---|---|
| 2 Hazard identification | Quickly spot hazard symbols, signal words and H-/P-statements — is the agent caustic, irritating, environmentally hazardous? |
| 4 First aid | What do you do for splashes in eyes, skin contact or inhalation — read BEFORE the accident, not after. |
| 7 Handling and storage | How the agent is stored and separated (e.g. acid away from chlorine) and how it is handled safely. |
| 8 Exposure control / personal protective equipment | Which gloves, glasses and possibly respiratory protection are required — and any limit values. |
| 10 Stability/reactivity | What the agent must NOT be mixed with (incompatible substances) — the basis for the 'never mix' rules. |
| 13 Disposal | Whether residues and packaging should be handled as hazardous waste. |
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