What does P273 mean?

What kind of precautionary statement is P273?

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, P273 is assigned to the classes of these hazard statements:

• H400Very toxic to aquatic life.
• H410Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
• H411Toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
• H412Harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
• H413May cause long lasting harmful effects to aquatic life.

How many hazard statements is P273 assigned to?

In the CLP Annex IV assignment table, P273 is provided for the classes of 5 H statements in total: 5 environmental hazard statements. The lowest-numbered example is H400 and the highest-numbered is H413. 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 P273 in the prevention group:

• 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.
• P280Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection.
• P281Use personal protective equipment as required.
• P282Wear cold insulating gloves and either face shield or eye protection.

How is P273 read?

The length of P273 is 5 words. The text is a single instruction without options and is written as it appears in Annex IV.

Where is P273 written in the SDS?

When you prepare an SDS, P273 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 P273 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 P273 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 P273 assigned to?

In the CLP Annex IV assignment table, P273 appears in 5 class/category entries (1 different H statements). Priority split: core (priority 1) in 5 entries. Of these entries, 0 carry the signal word “Danger”, 2 carry “Warning” and 3 need no signal word. The pictograms that most often accompany it: GHS09 (3).

The class families it appears in most often: Aquatic Chronic (4) and Aquatic Acute (1).

Classes that P273 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 P273

The precautionary statements that most often appear with P273 in the same class entries (with entry count):

• P501Dispose of contents/container to … (5)
• P391Collect spillage. (3)

Where does P273 stand in the prevention group?

P273 is number 30 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 P273 feed?

Because of its number and its prevention kind, P273 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 P273

• P273 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 P273 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 P273 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 P273 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