What does P378 mean?

What kind of precautionary statement is P378?

Response statements (P3xx) say what to do after an accident, spill, fire or exposure: first-aid steps, rinsing and washing, calling a doctor or a poison centre, choosing the extinguishing medium. They usually open with a situation such as IF IN EYES or IF INHALED.

Which hazards is it used for?

In the CLP Annex IV assignment table used by Chemoris, P378 is not linked directly to a class; it is used as part of a combined statement or at the supplier's choice.

Combined statements containing this code

• P370+P378

Neighbouring statements of the same kind

The statements closest in number to P378 in the response group:

• P375Fight fire remotely due to the risk of explosion.
• P376Stop leak if safe to do so.
• P377Leaking gas fire: Do not extinguish, unless leak can be stopped safely.
• P380Evacuate area.
• P381In case of leakage, eliminate all ignition sources.
• P390Absorb spillage to prevent material damage.

How is P378 read?

The length of P378 is 3 words. The text is a single instruction without options and is written as it appears in Annex IV.

Where is P378 written in the SDS?

When you prepare an SDS, P378 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 firefighting measures in Section 5.

How does P378 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, response statements are considered in position 1. 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 P378 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 response candidate is selected.

Which classes and which priority is P378 assigned to?

Related assignment entries: 13 class/category entries, 1 different H statements. Priority split: core (priority 1) in 10 entries and secondary (priority 2) in 3 entries. Of these entries, 4 carry the signal word “Danger”, 1 carry “Warning” and 8 need no signal word. The pictograms that most often accompany it: GHS02 (3) and GHS03 (2).

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

Classes that P378 is assigned to

P378 is not assigned to a class on its own; the combined statements it belongs to (P370+P378) are assigned to these classes:

Where does P378 stand in the response group?

P378 is number 48 of the 82 statements in the P3xx group. The group holds 30 combined and 11 withdrawn statements and 46 single valid statements. Combined statements merge several situations on one line; withdrawn statements are replaced by their current equivalents.

Which SDS section does P378 feed?

Because of its number and its response kind, P378 relates to Section 5 Firefighting 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 P378

• The text ends with “…”; the supplier supplies the completion.
• P378 is a part of the combined statements P370+P378; when a combined statement is selected, P378 is not repeated on the label.
• P378 should agree with Section 5; in Section 2.2 it is written with its code and text.
• The text is 3 words long; if the label space is narrow, choosing a combined statement can save room.

Official EU wording of P378 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 P378 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 P378 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