Information for industrial users
A Manufacturer's Obligations
The EU Marketing and Use Directive 76/769/EEC now specifies that DEHP may not be sold as a substance or in a preparation to the general public and that they should be labelled "restricted to professional users".
Substances and preparations in Category 2 must carry the skull and crossbones label and relevant risk and safety phrases. However plasticised PVC as sold to the general public is an article and not subject to this requirement.
Producers of substances and preparations classified as hazardous are required to provide safety data sheets to their customers.
Workplace Safety Requirements
For substances in categories 1, 2 and 3 the Chemical Agents At Work Directive 98/24/EC and Directive 92/85/EEC on the safety of pregnant, recently delivered and breast feeding women requires employers to carry out a risk assessment and identify such measures as personal protection and ventilation which may be required. If these measures are not adequate to ensure compliance with occupational limits, other measures such as changes to production procedures or even substitution have to be considered.
The necessary risk assessments should include the measurement of occupational exposure of workers to ensure they are working within given limits. More detailed guidance for carrying out such a risk assessment is contained in section ll Article 4 of the Chemical Agents At Work Directive 98/24/EC.
Labelling
The label is the basic tool to keep the user informed on the classification and the most important safety precautions.
This requirement also applies to preparations* containing 0.5% or more of a substance classified as dangerous.
The label must carry the following information:
- Trade name
- The name, address and telephone number of the manufacturer, importer or distributor.
- The chemical name of the substance (in the case of a preparation, the chemical names of certain hazardous components in accordance with EU legislation)
- Danger symbols (DEHP must carry the skull and crossbones)
- Risk Phrases (R-phrases):
DEHP: R60 (may impair fertility) and R61 (May cause harm to the unborn child)
- Safety Phrases (S-phrases): DEHP: S53 (Restricted to professional users - Attention - Avoid exposure - Obtain special instructions before use) and S45 (In case of accident or if you feel unwell seek medical advice immediately (show the label where possible).
The label must be in the national, official language(s) and must conform to minimum size requirements:
- containers of up to 3 litres - label must be at least 52x74mm
- More than three litres but less than 50 litres - at least 74x105mm
- More than 50 litres but less than 500 litres - at least 105x148mm
- More than 500 litres - at least 148x210mm
Each symbol must cover at least one-tenth the surface area of the label.
An example of a DEHP label. The above example shows the minimum information required. Actual label designs differ slightly according to manufacturer.
Safety Data Sheets
Each person involved in handling dangerous substances or preparations should be provided with written instructions on the properties of the chemicals, including illustrations and pictograms.
These safety instructions, usually referred to as Safety Data Sheets (SDS), should be stored in a place easily accessible at the workplace. Your usual supplier will provide updated safety data sheets when changes are necessary.
Implementation of the updated labelling
The new classification and labelling requirements for DEHP had to be incorporated within the legislation of Member States by July 30 2002. Under their commitment to Responsible Care® and with reference to Art. 6 of 67/548/EEC phthalate producers took the initiative to begin labelling earlier than this date. Deliveries of DEHP began to carry the new labelling from September 1 2001