ECHA’s Enforcement Forum prepares project to check poison centre notifications for hazardous chemical mixtures

09 Apr 2024

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The European Chemicals Agency’s (ECHA) Enforcement Forum coordinates many projects, including key activities such as the REACH-EN-FORCE (REF), designed to harmonise enforcement in Member States and check compliance levels for obligations imposed on industry by the REACH, CLP and Prior Informed Consent Regulation (PIC) regulations.

In March 2024, the Forum announced it is preparing a project to check if suppliers have notified hazardous chemical mixtures to poison centres. The aim of the checks is to “protect human health by enforcing the requirement that suppliers of chemicals notify information about hazardous mixtures to the national authorities.”

Poison Centre Notifications created by industry are used by poison centres across Europe to provide medical advice to general consumers and/or physicians when poisoning incidents or exposures occur. It is therefore of upmost importance that the information contained within the notification is correct to allow for an appropriate and well-informed emergency response.

ECHA’s enforcement forum have stated that “the inspectors will check that the notification has been submitted and verify labels of mixtures and – where needed – Safety Data Sheets. The exact scope of the checks will be defined in the coming months”.

Safety data sheets (SDSs) play a vital role in communicating hazard information about mixtures throughout the supply chain.

If this information is incomplete or inadequate, important details may not be correctly conveyed which can lead to unsafe use, accidents and incorrect emergency actions being taken, posing risks to people and the environment. It is therefore of the highest importance that Poison Centre notifications are only submitted using complete and compliant safety data sheets.

ECHA Enforcement Inspections are due to begin in January 2025.

What kind of products require a Poison Centre Notification?

Businesses are required to complete poison centre notifications to provide information on hazardous mixtures classified for health and/or physical hazards.

What are the risks of non-compliance?

Under Article 47 of CLP, Member States shall introduce penalties for non-compliance with the CLP regulation;
Article 47 of CLP - Penalties for non-compliance: “Member States shall introduce penalties for non-compliance with this Regulation and shall take all measures necessary to ensure that this Regulation is applied. The penalties must be effective, proportionate and dissuasive.”

The fines and penalties enforced in cases of non-compliance are at the discretion of each member-state.

How can Ricardo help?

Ricardo’s team of chemical experts are highly experienced in managing poison centre notifications and completing, auditing and translating safety data sheets. Having completed over 5000 notifications, our experienced team can operate on your behalf by providing a fully outsourced solution for your Poison Centre Notifications. Additionally, for GB based companies, we can submit voluntary notifications through an EU legal entity helping you to protect your supply chain, retain customer confidence in your products and avoid enforcement action.

If you would like to confirm whether your products require a Poison Centre notification, or are seeking validation that current Poison Centre Notifications are fully compliant, please contact us for a free, no obligation discussion.