HSC Press Release C030:02 - 16 July 2002
Chemical suppliers will have to give their customers information about the effects of their products on the environment and provide warnings to help chemical allergy sufferers.
The Chemicals (Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply) Regulations 2002 - known as CHIP 3 - which will come into force on 24 July, is now available from the Stationery Office; HSE is publishing other essential regulatory documents today.
CHIP implements several European Community (EC) Directives, whose purpose is to make sure that people are properly informed about the dangers of chemicals at work and in the home. They also aim to improve the single market by requiring all suppliers of dangerous chemicals to provide the same standard of information to their customers. CHIP requires suppliers of dangerous chemicals to decide what types of danger their products present (known as 'classification'), package them suitably, and provide information for their customers in the form of warning labels and safety data sheets.
The main changes CHIP 3 will introduce are:
George Dyson of HSE said:
"CHIP is the foundation of Great Britain's chemical control regime and affects a good deal of other legislation. Many Regulations use the CHIP classifications to define the scope of specific actions; for example changes to the classification of a chemical can make it subject to the COMAH (Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations) major hazard regime or can trigger specific workplace controls for a carcinogen under COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations)."
HSE Books is publishing the supporting documents which form an essential part of the regulatory package. They are:
HSE Books is also publishing new versions of three free guidance leaflets:
The Idiot's Guide to CHIP;
Why Do I Need a Safety Data Sheet; and
Read the Label
1. CHIP 3 replaces CHIP 2 which has been revised many times since it was introduced in 1994.
2. The new directives which CHIP 3 implements for the first time are:
1999/45/EC - the new Dangerous Preparations Directive;
2001/60/EC - the first Adaptation to Technical Progress (ATP) of 1999/45/EC;
2001/58/EC - the second Amendment of the Safety Data Sheets Directive (91/155/EEC); and
the greater part of 2001/59/EC - the 28th ATP to the Dangerous Substances Directive (67/548/EEC). (The remainder of that Directive is being implemented separately by way of changes to the Notification of New Substances Regulations 1993).
3. HSE has also taken the opportunity given by the need to implement these Directives to improve the clarity of the regulations, to consolidate the changes made to CHIP since 1994, and to make some alterations to reflect practical experience and to take account of comments made by stakeholders in response to HSE's consultative document which was issued in the latter part of 2001.
4. A significant number of chemicals are classified as dangerous for the first time under CHIP 3, and some existing classifications are revised; where classifications remain unchanged, many chemicals suppliers will in any case be affected by new requirements for safety data sheets.
5. CHIP applies to all chemicals which are not subject to their own regulatory regimes, such as medicines and cosmetics. It places obligations on anybody who supplies chemicals to somebody else, from the initial manufacturer or importer all the way down the supply chain to the final point of supply, which may be a retail outlet.
6. HSE officials maintain close contact with stakeholders in these Regulations, through an Advisory Committee on Toxic Substances tripartite sub committee (SCHIP); through direct contact with the main trade associations affected; and by issuing press articles and presentations; maintaining a special web page; and by arranging for a free consultancy service on environmental classification to be available to suppliers.
Copies of the following publications are available from HSE Books.
Approved Supply List (Seventh Edition) (2002) (L129) (ISBN 0 7176 2368 8) (£29.95)
Approved Classification and Labelling Guide (Fifth edition) (2002) (L131) (ISBN 0 7176 2369 6) (£10.50)
Approved Code of Practice:Safety data sheets for substances and preparations dangerous for supply (Third edition) (2002) (L130) (ISBN 0 7176 2371 8) (£7.95)
Copies of the following free leaflets are also available:
* The Idiot's Guide to CHIP (2002) INDG350 (ISBN 0 7176 2333 5) Packs of 5
* Why do I need a safety data sheet? INDG353 (ISBN 0 7176 2367 X) Packs of 10
* Read the label: how to find out if chemicals are dangerous INDG186 (ISBN 0 7176 2366 1) Packs of 15
(A revised edition of a priced guidance booklet, CHIP for everyone [ (2002) HSG228 (ISBN 0 7176 2370 X) (£9.50)] is in preparation and will be published shortly.
HSE's Contract Research Reports are available on the HSE website at www.hse.gov.uk/research/noframes/crr/index.htm
All enquiries from journalists should be directed to the HSE Press Office
