BIH: Do you sell chemicals online?

If you're selling chemicals online, it's important to know that there are specific regulations for this type of trade.

The aim of these regulations is to ensure that the buyer is adequately informed about potential hazards. This is especially crucial for remote purchases where the buyer cannot physically inspect the product and its label.

In the Republic of Srpska, there are general rules for online chemical sales. Additional rules apply to the sale of biocides in online stores.

Such regulations are also in effect in the European Union. Previous inspections have shown that up to 75% of online stores did not meet the required conditions.

For this reason, the European Union has planned a project for 2025 to control the online sale of chemicals. This will check whether products containing banned or restricted substances are being sold, and whether hazard information is available.

Inspections may also include checking the online sale of electrical and electronic equipment and their compliance with the RoHS Directive.

The key rule for online stores selling hazardous chemicals is that the buyer must be warned about the danger before adding the product to the cart.

Proper hazard labeling in online stores involves displaying pictograms, warning words, hazard statements (H phrases), and similar information.

Let's look at an example of online chemical sales control in the European Union.

First, it checks whether and where warnings about the hazardous properties of chemicals are listed. Here are the key recommendations:

• Warnings about hazardous properties must not be "hidden" in a separate tab (requiring an additional "click" and leaving the main product information page).
• Hazard warnings must be listed before placing the product in the cart, meaning potential buyers shouldn't need extra clicks (or searches on the site) during the online purchase process to access this information.
• Precautionary statements (P phrases) should also be listed alongside hazard information.

These recommendations for online chemical sales are expected to be included in the CLP regulation, which is currently under revision.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Law on Chemicals of the Republic of Srpska and the Law on Chemicals of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina have established penalties for inadequate advertising and labeling of chemicals. This provides a basis for our inspectors to control online stores. Therefore, review your online stores and ensure all conditions are met.

If you use our Chemius system for maintaining chemical documentation, there is an option for direct data integration with your online store. This ensures that all required information is listed in the online store and is always up-to-date and consistent with the product labels in circulation.

If you want to learn more about what Chemius offers, write to me at nina.pajovic@bens-consulting.eu.