What does P240 mean?

What kind of precautionary statement is P240?

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, P240 is assigned to the classes of these hazard statements:

• H201Explosive; mass explosion hazard.
• H202Explosive, severe projection hazard.
• H203Explosive; fire, blast or projection hazard.
• H204Fire or projection hazard.
• H205May mass explode in fire.
• H224Extremely flammable liquid and vapour.
• H225Highly flammable liquid and vapour.
• H226Flammable liquid and vapour.
• H228Flammable solid.

How many hazard statements is P240 assigned to?

In the CLP Annex IV assignment table, P240 is provided for the classes of 9 H statements in total: 9 physical hazard statements. The lowest-numbered example is H201 and the highest-numbered is H228. 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 P240 in the prevention group:

• P233Keep container tightly closed.
• P234Keep only in original packaging.
• P235Keep cool.
• P241Use explosion-proof [electrical/ventilating/lighting/…] equipment.
• P242Use non-sparking tools.
• P243Take action to prevent static discharges.

How is P240 read?

The length of P240 is 7 words. The text is a single instruction without options and is written as it appears in Annex IV.

Where is P240 written in the SDS?

When you prepare an SDS, P240 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 P240 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 P240 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 P240 assigned to?

In the CLP Annex IV assignment table, P240 appears in 5 class/category entries (1 different H statements). Priority split: secondary (priority 2) in 5 entries. Of these entries, 2 carry the signal word “Danger”, 1 carry “Warning” and 2 need no signal word. The pictograms that most often accompany it: GHS02 (3).

The class families it appears in most often: Flam. Liq. (3), Flam. Sol. * (1) and Expl. * (1).

Classes that P240 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 P240

The precautionary statements that most often appear with P240 in the same class entries (with entry count):

• P210Keep away from heat, hot surfaces, sparks, open flames and other ignition sources. No smoking. (5)
• P280Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection. (5)
• P370+P378In case of fire: Use… to extinguish. (4)
• P241Use explosion-proof [electrical/ventilating/lighting/…] equipment. (4)
• P501Dispose of contents/container to … (4)

Where does P240 stand in the prevention group?

P240 is number 15 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 P240 feed?

Because of its number and its prevention kind, P240 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 P240

• P240 should agree with Section 7; in Section 2.2 it is written with its code and text.
• The text is 7 words long; if the label space is narrow, choosing a combined statement can save room.

Official EU wording of P240 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 P240 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 P240 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