What does P264 mean?

What kind of precautionary statement is P264?

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, P264 is assigned to the classes of these hazard statements:

• H300Fatal if swallowed.
• H301Toxic if swallowed.
• H302Harmful if swallowed.
• H310Fatal in contact with skin.
• H314Causes severe skin burns and eye damage.
• H315Causes skin irritation.
• H319Causes serious eye irritation.
• H362May cause harm to breast-fed children.
• H370Causes damage to organs <or state all organs affected, if known> <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard> .
• H371May cause damage to organs <or state all organs affected, if known> <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard> .
• H372Causes damage to organs <or state all organs affected, if known> through prolonged or repeated exposure <state route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard> .

How many hazard statements is P264 assigned to?

In the CLP Annex IV assignment table, P264 is provided for the classes of 11 H statements in total: 11 health hazard statements. The lowest-numbered example is H300 and the highest-numbered is H372. 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 P264 in the prevention group:

• P261Avoid breathing dust/fume/gas/mist/vapours/spray.
• P262Do not get in eyes, on skin, or on clothing.
• P263Avoid contact during pregnancy and while nursing.
• P270Do not eat, drink or smoke when using this product.
• P271Use only outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.
• P272Contaminated work clothing should not be allowed out of the workplace.

How is P264 read?

The length of P264 is 5 words. The text is a single instruction without options and is written as it appears in Annex IV.

Where is P264 written in the SDS?

When you prepare an SDS, P264 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 P264 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 P264 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 P264 assigned to?

In the CLP Annex IV assignment table, P264 appears in 13 class/category entries (5 different H statements). Priority split: secondary (priority 2) in 13 entries. Of these entries, 7 carry the signal word “Danger”, 4 carry “Warning” and 2 need no signal word. The pictograms that most often accompany it: GHS06 (5), GHS07 (3) and GHS08 (3).

The class families it appears in most often: Acute Tox. (6), STOT SE (2), Skin Corr. * (1), Skin Irrit. (1) and Eye Irrit. (1).

Classes that P264 is assigned to

The first 12 rows of 13 entries in the CLP Annex IV assignment table (by priority and hazard order):

Statements assigned together with P264

The precautionary statements that most often appear with P264 in the same class entries (with entry count):

• P270Do not eat, drink or smoke when using this product. (10)
• P501Dispose of contents/container to … (10)
• P321Specific treatment (see … on this label). (8)
• P405Store locked up. (8)
• P280Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection. (5)

Where does P264 stand in the prevention group?

P264 is number 26 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 P264 feed?

Because of its number and its prevention kind, P264 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 P264

• The text ends with “…”; the supplier supplies the completion.
• In the Chemoris SDS output this gap is completed with “hands” (CLP 1272/2008 Annex IV Section 1 Table 6.2); the dictionary page shows the official “…” form.
• P264 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 P264 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 P264 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 P264 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