What does P220 mean?

What kind of precautionary statement is P220?

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, P220 is assigned to the classes of these hazard statements:

• H240Heating may cause an explosion.
• H241Heating may cause a fire or explosion.
• H242Heating may cause a fire.
• H270May cause or intensify fire; oxidiser.
• H271May cause fire or explosion; strong oxidiser.
• H272May intensify fire; oxidiser.

How many hazard statements is P220 assigned to?

In the CLP Annex IV assignment table, P220 is provided for the classes of 6 H statements in total: 6 physical hazard statements. The lowest-numbered example is H240 and the highest-numbered is H272. Whether a mixture label carries this statement depends on those classes really applying to the mixture.

Change note

P220 is used in place of the withdrawn P221. When you see the old code in an earlier SDS or label, its current equivalent is P220.

Neighbouring statements of the same kind

The statements closest in number to P220 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.
• P221Take any precaution to avoid mixing with combustibles…
• P222Do not allow contact with air.
• P223Do not allow contact with water.

How is P220 read?

The text of P220 is 8 words long. The text is a single instruction without options and is written as it appears in Annex IV.

Where is P220 written in the SDS?

In the SDS, P220 is written in Section 2.2 (label elements) with its code and the text "Keep away from clothing and other combustible materials.". Being a prevention statement, it sits among the prevention lines. The statement should also agree with the safe handling precautions in Section 7.

How does P220 appear on the label?

On the label P220 appears together with its text; under CLP Article 28(3) a label usually carries at most 6 precautionary statements. 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 P220 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 P220 assigned to?

In the CLP Annex IV assignment table, P220 appears in 7 class/category entries (1 different H statements). Priority split: core (priority 1) in 5 entries and secondary (priority 2) in 2 entries. Of these entries, 3 carry the signal word “Danger”, 0 carry “Warning” and 4 need no signal word. The pictograms that most often accompany it: GHS03 (3).

The class families it appears in most often: Ox. Gas (1), Ox. Liq. (1), Ox. Liq. * (1), Ox. Sol. (1) and Ox. Sol. * (1).

Classes that P220 is assigned to

The first 7 rows of 7 entries in the CLP Annex IV assignment table (by priority and hazard order):

Statements assigned together with P220

The precautionary statements that most often appear with P220 in the same class entries (with entry count):

• P370+P378In case of fire: Use… to extinguish. (6)
• P210Keep away from heat, hot surfaces, sparks, open flames and other ignition sources. No smoking. (6)
• P280Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection. (6)
• P501Dispose of contents/container to … (6)
• P306+P360IF ON CLOTHING: rinse immediately contaminated clothing and skin with plenty of water before removing clothes. (2)

Where does P220 stand in the prevention group?

P220 is number 5 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 P220 feed?

Because of its number and its prevention kind, P220 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 P220

• P220 should agree with Section 7; in Section 2.2 it is written with its code and text.
• The text is 8 words long; if the label space is narrow, choosing a combined statement can save room.

Official EU wording of P220 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 P220 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 P220 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