Understanding and teaching the hazard classes and categories of the CLP Regulation

Are you a non-chemical specialist who works with chemicals and would still like to understand the CLP regulation?

Are you a trainer looking to explain the principles behind the CLP regulation on the classification and categorization of chemical substances in simple terms? Does your audience not necessarily have a chemistry background?

The aim of this factsheet is to help you understand the "spirit" of the CLP regulation. This regulation concerns the classification of chemical substances and mixtures according to the hazards they represent, and the communication of these hazards through clear labeling.

• Why is a "new" CLP regulation necessary? Was the old regulation not enough?

• What types of hazards can chemical substances and mixtures present?

• What do we mean by "class" and "category" of hazard?

• Which hazard classes are specific to a substance's physical state or packaging (solid, liquid, gas or aerosol)?

• What are the criteria for determining whether a substance presents a particular hazard?

• What is the relationship between the hazard classes and categories assigned to a substance and the pictograms and hazard statements that appear on the container label?