What does P270 mean?

What kind of precautionary statement is P270?

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, P270 is assigned to the classes of these hazard statements:

• H300Fatal if swallowed.
• H301Toxic if swallowed.
• H302Harmful if swallowed.
• H310Fatal in contact with skin.
• 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 P270 assigned to?

In the CLP Annex IV assignment table, P270 is provided for the classes of 8 H statements in total: 8 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 P270 in the prevention group:

• P262Do not get in eyes, on skin, or on clothing.
• P263Avoid contact during pregnancy and while nursing.
• P264Wash … thoroughly after handling.
• P271Use only outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.
• P272Contaminated work clothing should not be allowed out of the workplace.
• P273Avoid release to the environment.

How is P270 read?

The length of P270 is 10 words. The text is a single instruction without options and is written as it appears in Annex IV.

Where is P270 written in the SDS?

When you prepare an SDS, P270 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 P270 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 P270 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 P270 assigned to?

In the CLP Annex IV assignment table, P270 appears in 10 class/category entries (5 different H statements). Priority split: secondary (priority 2) in 8 entries and conditional (priority 3) in 2 entries. Of these entries, 7 carry the signal word “Danger”, 2 carry “Warning” and 1 need no signal word. The pictograms that most often accompany it: GHS06 (5), GHS08 (3) and GHS07 (1).

The class families it appears in most often: Acute Tox. (6), STOT SE (2), Lact. (1) and STOT RE (1).

Classes that P270 is assigned to

The first 10 rows of 10 entries in the CLP Annex IV assignment table (by priority and hazard order):

Statements assigned together with P270

The precautionary statements that most often appear with P270 in the same class entries (with entry count):

• P264Wash … thoroughly after handling. (10)
• P501Dispose of contents/container to … (9)
• P405Store locked up. (7)
• P321Specific treatment (see … on this label). (6)
• P330Rinse mouth. (4)

Where does P270 stand in the prevention group?

P270 is number 27 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 P270 feed?

Because of its number and its prevention kind, P270 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 P270

• P270 should agree with Section 7; in Section 2.2 it is written with its code and text.
• The text is 10 words long; if the label space is narrow, choosing a combined statement can save room.

Official EU wording of P270 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 P270 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 P270 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