If you are a chemical manufacturer in Bosnia and Herzegovina, you certainly devote a lot of time to the appearance of labels. This is certainly important if you want your product to stand out and attract customers.
However, when it comes to hazardous chemicals, regulations define mandatory labeling elements that must be included on the label. These obligations must be met to ensure that your product follows the regulations.
Sometimes, even the smallest mistake on the label can result in product withdrawal from the market. And that costs you dearly. And I'm not just talking about fines, or the time lost in addressing the identified deficiencies. What is more devastating is losing the hard-earned reputation of the company.
That's why I am writing today about the appearance and size of labels – the regulations that apply in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
This area is defined in the regulations on the classification and labeling of chemicals. If the label or pictogram is not of the appropriate size, your label is not in compliance with the regulations, even if it contains all the prescribed elements.
The size of the label or the part of the label containing the chemical hazard information is determined by the size of the packaging. The larger the packaging, the larger the label must be.
In the attached photo, you can see the precise information about the size of the label and the size of the pictogram according to the size of a certain chemical's packaging.
Arranging all the prescribed data in a limited space can often be a challenge, but it should not come at the expense of the readability of the provided information.
Perhaps the first and simplest step is to omit alphanumeric codes for hazard warnings (H-codes) and precautionary statements (P-codes) on the label.
For example, it is not necessary to include H319 and the corresponding text on the label. It is sufficient to state "Causes serious eye irritation." The same applies to the P102 code. It is enough to state, "Keep out of reach of children."
In specific cases, regulations provide exceptions, allowing the elements of chemical labeling to be displayed in one of the following ways:
- On folded labels,
- On an attached plate or label, or
- On the outer packaging.
In the European Union, the process of amending the key CLP legislation, which regulates the classification and labeling of chemicals, is underway. Additional provisions are proposed for specifying the manner of presenting data on the label, primarily regarding the size of letters and spacing between lines and words.
Until the proposed changes are accepted and incorporated into the legislation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, we will adhere to the existing regulations. And as you already know, they are currently valid only in Republika Srpska.
In my next post I’ll focus on currently applicable exceptions related to the labeling of small packaging of chemicals.
If you are unsure whether your label complies with the regulations in BIH, we can assist you. Just drop me a line or two on my email - nina.pajovic@bens-consulting.eu and we’ll see how to best help you.
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