In the picture on CLP legislation?

When it comes to safety, knowledge and understanding of the goods that are being handled is crucial. But while labelling vehicles and goods plays a key role in keeping personnel safe, the legislation surrounding it can be complicated.

Increased international movement of goods has led to a greater focus on the need for standardised labelling. Anomalies existed where, for instance, a chemical could be labelled toxic in one country but not in another. Some countries had no kind of classification and labelling at all. To deal with this, the United Nations has developed a single worldwide system for classifying and communicating the hazardous properties of industrial and consumer chemicals – the Globally Harmonised System, or GHS. This aims not only to promote international trade but also to protect people and the environment.

New legislation

The UN GHS is given legal status by individual countries’ or trading blocks’ own laws. CLP is the European Union’s legislation to underpin the new system and it uses the UN GHS as its base for the classification, labelling and packaging of substances across all EU countries. In the UK, it replaces the longstanding CHIP - Chemicals (Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply) - regulation. New hazard pictograms in the shape of a red diamond with a white background will gradually succeed the old familiar orange square CHIP hazard symbols.

The CLP legislation for single substances is already in place and companies have until 1st June 2015 to ensure that labels for mixed substances also comply with the new rules.

Hibiscus has solutions in place to enable companies to meet the new label standards easily with innovative label printing software, printers and a wide range of blank labels to enable quick printing of compliant labels, as well as fully printed customised labels.

On the road

Transporting hazardous goods by road, rail, air and sea all require their own separate forms of legal documentation. International journeys by road through Europe, for example, are covered by the ADR regulations. Kemler ADR panels on the front and rear  of the vehicle must meet weathering and reflectivity standards, identify the hazardous substance being carried and provide an Emergency Action Code (EAC) so that police and firefighters know how to respond in the event of an accident, e.g. which fire suppressant or personal safety equipment to use and whether or not to evacuate the area.

Ensuring that labels stay securely in place is just as important as making sure that they provide the correct information. Every business is unique and labels can serve very different purposes. When commissioning labels, businesses should consider what heat and humidity they will be expected to withstand and what their life cycle will involve. Hibiscus has, for instance, been called on to label goods that are able to cope with the huge temperature shift of being shipped from winter in Wigan in -2˚C to Qatar where it may be 45˚C. Some industrial heating and cooling processes also require labels with adhesives that can withstand extreme variations in temperature and these can be supplied to a higher specification.

Good quality accurate and compliant labels go hand in hand with best health and safety practice and cutting corners is never cost-effective. Make sure that you get sound advice to meet the new standards – and stay safe.

Hibiscus, a family business based in Yorkshire, is a one-stop shop for everything needed to produce high quality dangerous goods and chemical labels for storage and transportation. The company is a licensed supplier of legal transportation documentation with up-to-date knowledge of legal requirements.