Product Safety
Product safety is about maintaining under control all risks related to the products and chemical substances, including all the actions and techniques to evaluate those risks. Those risks can be physical, for human health, for the environment and even legal.
To maintain the risks under control, the correct classification and labeling of every product and substances is vital.
This allows to have the real and correct information about the characteristics of every product. That information is necessary to have the proper measures for storage and handling.
Main Standards and Regulations on Product Safety
We will now detail the main regulations that govern the product safety:
Regulation (CE) nº1907/2006, better known as the REACH regulation:
Regulation (CE) nº 1907/2006 from the European parliament and of the Council, from December 18, 2006. It is relative to the registration, evaluation, authorization and restriction of chemical substances and mixtures (REACH), for which was created the European Chemicals Agency.
Directive 1999/45/EC is amended along with Council Regulation (EEC) No 793/93 and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1488/94 as well as Council Directive 76/769/EEC and the Directives are repealed 91/155/EEC, 93/67/EEC, 93/105/EC and 2000/21/EC of the Commission.
And the regulation (CE) nº 1272/2008, better known as the CLP regulation:
Regulation (CE) nº 1272/2008 from European parliament and of the Council, from December 16, 2008. Regarding the classification, labeling and packaging of substances and mixtures. By which directives 67/548/EEC and 1999/45/EC are amended and repealed and regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 is modified.
Product Safety Services
Tandem HSE offers a consulting service in classified substances and mixtures to:
- Create Safety Data Sheets (SDS). With the new classification and labeling following the CLP regulation for substances, for the harmonized substances as well as those not harmonized and mixtures.
- Study the strategy to follow to prepare the Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and the labeling of the mixtures, mandatory since June 2015.
- Training in interpretation of the Safety Data Sheets (SDS).
- Substances or mixture classification training according to the new CLP regulation.
- Give information on:
- Send notification to the National Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences (I.N.T.C.F.) and other agencies of the updated Safety Data Sheets (SDS).
- Verify descriptors of use of exposure scenarios.
- Give notifications to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) of imports of all dangerous substances and mixtures.
- Design labels according to the CLP regulation.
- Update the Safety Data Sheets (SDS)
CLP Regulation
The CLP Regulation defines how chemicals should be classified, labeled and packaged. Thus, it is a complementary regulation of REACH and one cannot be understood without the other.
CLP stands for Classification, Labeling & Packaging.
It represents the ambitious objective of harmonizing the danger of substances that are marketed in the European Union, and it establishes what is known as the catalog of classified substances.
It is one of the longest regulations (2,000 pages, 8 annexes and it was modified 15 times since 2008) and is constantly evolving through different ATP (Adaptations to Technical Progress).
REACH Regulation
Essentially, the REACH Regulation, complemented by the CLP Regulation, aims to guarantee a high level of protection for health and the environment. It also eliminates obstacles to marketing, reducing the tests to be performed and eliminating the tests on animals as much as possible.
It is governed by four principles:
- Registration
- Evaluation
- Authorization
- Substances Restriction
The main application of registration and evaluation is reflected in the elaboration of the safety data sheets and the exhibition scenarios. It also stands as a key element for the commercialization of chemical products, both mixture and substances.
Safety Data Sheets
Safety Data Sheets have their origin in regulation (EC) No. 1907/2006 (REACH). They contain information on the danger of the substance, its safe handling and preventive measures or, if necessary, action in case of an emergency.
Safety data sheets must be issued when the product is marketed. They must also be completed with the exhibition scenarios. This set is known as extended safety data sheets and must be evaluated prior to product handling and communicated downstream.
