Any
retailer who sells paint or solvents such as white spirit, etc, will have seen
the familiar orange and black warning symbols which adorn the packaging of these
chemically based products. Well, things are about to change with the
introduction of a new piece of EU legislation - the
Classification, Labelling and
Packaging Regulation (CLP).
The main responsibility for
deciding what symbols apply to chemicals is with the manufacturer who first
places the product onto the market. The good news is that with the advent of the
new labelling requirements, the main responsibility stays with the manufacturer.
The new Classification,
Labelling and Packaging Regulation is intended to be a major step towards a
globally harmonised system (GHS) for labelling. That’s good – it may make a
wider range of products available for the European Market which were not allowed
before. One of the most important points is that there are separate deadlines
for chemicals and mixtures (products containing more than one chemical as an
ingredient). These must be compliant with the new labelling requirements by
December 2010 and June 2015 respectively. Another feature is that suppliers of
the products can choose any time up to these dates to implement the changes
which will filter down the supply chain at different times. The situation is
made more confusing by a further two year period of grace to consume stocks once
they have left the manufacturer.
Everything understood so far?
Well read on... White Spirit for example must be re-labelled between now and
December 2010. However paints which contain the product as an ingredient can be
re-labelled at any time from now until June 2015. So, some of the products on
your shelves may be re-labelled now and others in June 2015. This effectively
means there will be mix of old and new, with different words and symbols in the
same part of your showroom. And it’s not just paints, it might be glues, toilet
cleaners, fire lighting chemicals, kitchen cleaners and many more. In some cases
symbols will be added to chemical products that have never had them before.
Please rest assured that
as with all new legislation, Bartoline will ensure that all of it products
whether they be Bartoline label or our large customers own brands will comply
with the new regulations well before the deadline dates. Indeed some of items
are already complaint. We will also ensure that the change over to the new
system will be as smooth as possible and within time scales to ensure old
labelled stock can legally be sold through.
If you need any further
clarification or would like to discuss further how this important piece of EU
legislation will be implemented by Bartoline, then please contact our HSE
Manager on 01482 678727 or email
k.duplock@bartoline.co.uk.
28th January
2010.