NEWS

Current revision of Swiss legislation on chemicals

On February 1, 2009 the chemicals law and the regulation on the classification and labeling of substances is come into force.

This leads to important changes:

  • New admission requirement for new substances.
  • New hazardous properties for substances (particulary persistent and bioaccumulative subtances).
  • This has also consequences for the Material Safety Data Sheet of your product.
  • New is also the admission to use EC-GHS - Classification and Labeling-System.


Ask for the consequences for your company.

GHS is coming soon in EC

The new ordinance, the GHS Global Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals, shall enter into force on 20. January 2009.

Switzerland will take on this system, but late.

GHS knows transitional periods, such as soon mentioned.

All substances must be classified after GHS, and reported until 1.12.2010

All preparations must be classified an labeled after GHS untill 1.06.2015.

Until then, both systems are used simultaneously

REACH After Pre-Registration

The dead-line for Pre-Registration is expired at 30. novembre 2008

Did you had enough time?

ECHA will published all pre-registered substances at 1. january 2009

So you can see all pre-registrant with the your same substance

Work in SIEF can begin

You must begin with your SIEF strategy

GHS - Global Harmonised System

What is GHS and when is it coming?

GHS means Global Harmonised System for classification and labeling of chemicals and will be introduced worldwide as the unified labelling system for chemcials.

These are the new symbols

(Move the cursor over the symbol to discover its meaning)
GHS-Symbols for physical dangers
files/bilder/ghs-explosiv.giffiles/bilder/ghs-entzuendlich.giffiles/bilder/ghs-brandfoerdernd.giffiles/bilder/ghs-kompr-gase.giffiles/bilder/ghs-aetzend.gif
GHS-Symbols for danger of health
files/bilder/ghs-giftig.giffiles/bilder/ghs-aetzend.giffiles/bilder/ghs-schaedlich.giffiles/bilder/ghs-cmr.gif
GHS-Symbols for danger for the environment
files/bilder/ghs-umweltgefaehrlich.gif

  • Under the symbols are used signal-word as Danger or Warning for different graduations
  • Instead of R – S-phrases , there will used now ones.
  • Is Switzerland affected of that new symbols : yes
  • If the EU will does into effect the EU-GHS with transitional periodes in 2010 respectively 2015, then Switzerland will into effect with EU-GHS same time as EU.
  • All substances must be classified and labeled as EU-GH until 1.December 2010
  • Preparations (new mixtures ) must be classified and labeled as EU-GHS until 1.December 2015
  • In the transitional periode until 1.december 2015 the Material Safety Data sheet must issued the current EU labeling and the additional EU-GHS (new) labeling.

REACH

Next important date:

1st June 2008 until 1st December 2008 pre-registration.