| A.I.S.E. supports the implementation of legislation to ensure that classification and labelling is consistent and effective in securing the safe use of chemicals in products.
The United Nations Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) establishes a consistent framework to classify and label chemicals and their hazards around the world, for the safety of all people and the environment.
The European Regulation on the Classification, Labelling and Packaging of Substances and Mixtures ( CLP) (EU 1272 /2008) implements GHS throughout the European Union. Most cleaning and maintenance products are mixtures and therefore they must comply and be classified, labelled and packaged accordingly from June 2015 onwards.
The Regulation provides guidance to identify and classify all preparations in terms of the hazard they present to human health and the environment, such as their flammability, toxicity, effects when released in water, etc. It also provides guidance on labelling and packaging of chemicals used in products. This labelling can either be provided on the packaging, as this is the case for consumer products, or via Safety Data Sheets for professional products used in industrial applications. |
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CLP replaces the former EU Dangerous Substances Directive (67/548/EEC) as well as the EU Dangerous Preparations Directive (1999/45/EC). Safety is a top priority for A.I.S.E.’s members and we fully support CLP as one of the main tools to alert users to product hazards and help to ensure the safe use of products.
In 2019, experts from A.I.S.E. and the European Poison Centres co-authored a scientific paper that compares eye hazard classification and the effects following accidental exposure to detergent and maintenance products. The article supports our position that detergent products pose a low hazard to users eyes (following accidental exposure) and that current hazard classification of products in this sector are excessively conservative.
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DetNet
To support the implementation of CLP, the industry has launched a broad initiative called
DetNet, coordinated by A.I.S.E., which aims to ensure that consumers are clearly informed about the actual hazard of products. Find out more
here
Information to end-users
To support members in the implementation of CLP,
A.I.S.E. developed two leaflets in 2011 for both consumers and professional customers. In June 2015
A.I.S.E. released a "
CLP Label Changes" Toolkit and published new information and a
quiz on its consumer portal
www.cleanright .eu (also displayed on millions of detergent and maintenance products packages) to explain the changes to product labels. These items are being promoted across Europe by member associations and companies. Find out more
here
Amendment to the CLP Regulation on liquid consumer laundry detergent capsules
The CLP Regulation has recently been amended in December 2014
(Regulation 1297/2014/EC) to lay down a number of rules applicable in all EU member states to further improve the safety of liquid laundry detergent capsules for single use. The amendment comes in response to EU regulators and the detergents industry committing without delay towards further reducing the risk of accidental exposure of small children to these new forms of liquid laundry detergent products.
More information