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Last week, I wrote about habits when it comes to reading information on labels. Today, I'll focus more on labels for chemical products.
I've written several times about how the safety data sheet (SDS) is a detailed document. It contains all the information about a chemical product: from its chemical composition to first aid instructions.
Such detailed information is intended for industrial and professional users to familiarize themselves with the properties of the chemical and plan industrial processes.
But who reads the SDS when an accident happens?
No one. At that moment, you read the label. It's short, clear, and available on the product.
That's why regulations define that the label must contain all the information necessary for safe use: the product and supplier name, hazard pictograms, warning words, H and P codes, and first aid and emergency procedures. The label's language must match the market where the product is sold.
The purpose of the label is that even someone who has never used the product before can understand what it is within seconds. And here we come to a crucial difference: professional and general users.
Professional users of chemicals, such as workers in industrial plants, laboratories, and other professional environments, are trained to handle chemicals. They have personal protective equipment, know the regulations, and have access to the SDS, but they are not immune to mistakes.
They also use the label daily. When a professional takes a chemical from the shelf, they don't read the SDS again. They rely on the label because it tells them:
- whether they have picked the right product,
- if protective equipment is needed,
- if the product can be mixed with other substances,
- how to properly dispose of waste, and so on.
An error on the label, like an incorrect H code or missing storage instructions, can have serious health consequences for a professional user. Even if it's an experienced worker who "knows it all by heart."
The situation is entirely different with general users. These are consumers who buy chemicals in stores or online and usually don't have special education on chemical use.
General users don't know what H314 means or why the exclamation mark pictogram is important. They might not read the instructions, or they might not understand them. All this increases the risk of improper use.
That's why regulations for chemicals intended for general use define stricter rules. First, there are classes of hazards or types of chemicals that are banned or restricted for general use (e.g., methanol in windshield washer fluids).
On labels of products for general use, instructions for use are usually included. Unlike professional users, general users have no other source of information; everything must be on the label.
Besides standard labeling elements, certain products must also have a safety cap and tactile warning of danger.
If you're involved in the production or import of chemicals, ask yourself these three questions today:
- Does your label contain all the mandatory elements according to the regulations in the market where you sell chemicals?
- Is the label tailored to the type of user?
- Are the SDS and the label aligned?
And don't forget the power of habit: if we teach future product users from a young age the importance of reading labels, it will become a habit. This is especially important for the safety of general chemical users.
A label is not a formality. It is the first and often the only form of communication between your product and the person using it. That communication must be clear, accurate, and unambiguous.
If you're unsure whether your label is correct, write to me at nina.pajovic@bens-consulting.eu.
nina.pajovic@bens-consulting.eu
