Classification and labelling

Classification and labelling express how hazardous a product is to human health and the environment and whether the product is flammable/explosive or has other hazardous properties of which people should be made especially aware. The Danish Environmental Protection Agency determines the classification of a product on the basis of the available studies. This classification determines the hazard warning to be printed on the label.

The purpose of classification and labelling is to inform and warn the user of the hazardous properties of chemicals and chemical products. The system, which applies right across the EU, consists of hazard classes and risk phrases. These are displayed on a hazard label bearing hazard symbols on an orange-yellow background, indications of danger, “risk phrases” (R phrases) and “safety phrases” (S phrases) and a specification of the hazardous contents.

The hazard label must be in Danish and include a range of information about the product as well as hazard symbols, risk phrases and safety phrases.

More information

Statutory Order on classification and labelling (retsinfo.dk)
The Statutory Order describes the rules applying to the classification, labelling, packaging, sale and storage of chemical sub-stances and products.

See and download hazard symbols (under Chemicals web pages)

See and download R- and S-phrases (under Chemicals web pages)

The list of harmonised classification
The EU has common rules governing the classification of chemical substances (including biocides). The list of harmonised classification (formerly known as the “List of dangerous substances”) lists approximately 8,000 chemical substances and groups of substances classified under these rules. It is possible to search in the list.

N-Class , database for environmental classification (at kemi.se)
Lists the chemical substances discussed by the EU’s working group on environmental hazard classification.

EU

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) in Helsinki is responsible for the common EU regulation of chemicals, including the harmonisation of classifications within the EU. For more information, see the ECHA website .

CLP - EU Classification Regulation

The EU´s Classification Regulation (Classification, Labelling and Packaging, abbreviated to CLP) describes a new system for the classification and labelling of chemicals in the EU. The Regulation is based on GHS (Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals), which has been adopted by the UN.
The CLP Regulation lays down the conditions that apply to the classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures in the EU. During the period 2010-2015, a staged transition will take place from the old classification rules (the Classification Order) to the CLP Regulation.
Chemical substances have thus had to be classified pursuant to CLP since 1 December 2010, while mixtures will not need to be classified pursuant to CLP until 1 June 2015. Substances and mixtures that were placed on the market prior to 1 December 2010 (substances) and 1 June 2015 (mixtures) must be provided with a new label and packaging pursuant to the Regulation by 1 December 2012 (substances) and 1 June 2017 (mixtures). However, the classification, packaging and labelling of both substances and mixtures in accordance with the rules of the Regulation is permitted from the effective date of the Regulation.