What does P201 mean?

What kind of precautionary statement is P201?

Prevention statements (P2xx) describe the measures that stop exposure or an accident before it happens: staying away from heat and ignition sources, wearing personal protective equipment, not breathing vapour or dust, washing hands after work. They are the rules a user applies before starting to work with the product.

Which hazards is it used for?

In the CLP Annex IV assignment table, P201 is assigned to the classes of these hazard statements:

• H200Unstable explosives.
• H340May cause genetic defects <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard> .
• H341Suspected of causing genetic defects <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard> .
• H350May cause cancer <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard> .
• H350iMay cause cancer by inhalation.
• H351Suspected of causing cancer < state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard >.
• H360May damage fertility or the unborn child <state specific effect if known > <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard> .
• H360DMay damage the unborn child.
• H360DfMay damage the unborn child. Suspected of damaging fertility.
• H360FMay damage fertility.
• H360FDMay damage fertility. May damage the unborn child.
• H360FdMay damage fertility. Suspected of damaging the unborn child.
• H361Suspected of damaging fertility or the unborn child <state specific effect if known> <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard> .
• H361dSuspected of damaging the unborn child.
• H361fSuspected of damaging fertility.
• H361fdSuspected of damaging fertility. Suspected of damaging the unborn child.
• H362May cause harm to breast-fed children.

How many hazard statements is P201 assigned to?

In the CLP Annex IV assignment table, P201 is provided for the classes of 17 H statements in total: 1 physical hazard statement and 16 health hazard statements. The lowest-numbered example is H200 and the highest-numbered is H362. Whether a mixture label carries this statement depends on those classes really applying to the mixture.

Neighbouring statements of the same kind

The statements closest in number to P201 in the prevention group:

• P202Do not handle until all safety precautions have been read and understood.
• P210Keep away from heat, hot surfaces, sparks, open flames and other ignition sources. No smoking.
• P211Do not spray on an open flame or other ignition source.

How is P201 read?

The length of P201 is 5 words. The text is a single instruction without options and is written as it appears in Annex IV.

Where is P201 written in the SDS?

When you prepare an SDS, P201 goes into Section 2.2; options in the text (slashes or square brackets) are narrowed down to the product before it is written. The statement should also agree with the safe handling precautions in Section 7.

How does P201 appear on the label?

The classes and the use of the product decide whether it reaches the label; not all candidates are written, at most 6 statements remain. In the Chemoris selection method, prevention statements are considered in position 2. If the core statements exceed 6, Article 28(3) allows up to 8; when a combined statement is chosen, its individual parts are not repeated on the label. As P201 is on the list of precautionary statements of Annex IV, it can be used in current labels and SDSs; Chemoris writes it into the document only when the relevant prevention candidate is selected.

Which classes and which priority is P201 assigned to?

In the CLP Annex IV assignment table, P201 appears in 5 class/category entries (1 different H statements). Priority split: core (priority 1) in 5 entries. Of these entries, 1 carry the signal word “Danger”, 0 carry “Warning” and 4 need no signal word. The pictograms that most often accompany it: GHS01 (1).

The class families it appears in most often: Unst. Expl. (1), Muta. * (1), Carc. * (1), Repr. * (1) and Lact. (1).

Classes that P201 is assigned to

The first 5 rows of 5 entries in the CLP Annex IV assignment table (by priority and hazard order):

Statements assigned together with P201

The precautionary statements that most often appear with P201 in the same class entries (with entry count):

• P202Do not handle until all safety precautions have been read and understood. (4)
• P280Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection. (4)
• P501Dispose of contents/container to … (4)
• P308+P313IF exposed or concerned: Get medical advice/attention. (4)
• P405Store locked up. (3)

Where does P201 stand in the prevention group?

P201 is number 1 of the 38 statements in the P2xx group. The group holds 2 combined and 4 withdrawn statements and 33 single valid statements. Combined statements merge several situations on one line; withdrawn statements are replaced by their current equivalents.

Which SDS section does P201 feed?

Because of its number and its prevention kind, P201 relates to Section 7 Handling and storage of the SDS; in Section 2.2 it is written with its code and text. Statements in the same number range feed the same section.

Checklist when writing P201

• P201 should agree with Section 7; in Section 2.2 it is written with its code and text.
• The text is 5 words long; if the label space is narrow, choosing a combined statement can save room.

Official EU wording of P201 in other languages

When a product is exported to the EU, the SDS and label are expected in the official language of the Member State where it is placed on the market (REACH Article 31(5)). The table gives the official wording of P201 from the CLP Annex III/IV language versions published in the Official Journal of the European Union. Source: EUR-Lex CELEX 02008R1272-20260701.

Next steps

To read a statement like P201 correctly on a label and in an SDS, see the guide How to read H and P codes; to pick the class and prepare the label automatically, use the free label tool.

Where does it appear in the safety data sheet?

Precautionary statements are given with their code and full text in Section 2.2 (label elements) of the safety data sheet. Alternatives separated by a slash or in square brackets (e.g. gloves/protective clothing) are narrowed down to suit the product.

Frequently asked questions