What must a chemical label contain?

The mandatory label elements

CLP Article 17 (its counterpart in Türkiye is in the SEA Regulation, the Turkish CLP) requires the following on the label of a hazardous product:

1. Name, address and telephone number of the supplier. The company placing the product on the market; if there are several suppliers, at least one of them.
2. Nominal quantity (the quantity in the package), only if the product is sold to the general public and this information is not given elsewhere on the package.
3. Product identifiers. For a substance, its name and an identification number (e.g. CAS); for a mixture, its trade name and the names of the hazardous components that contribute to the classification (see below).
4. Hazard pictograms (GHS01–GHS09).
5. Signal word: "Danger" or "Warning", only one of them.
6. Hazard statements (H statements): all statements resulting from the classification.
7. Precautionary statements (P statements): the appropriate ones, generally no more than 6.
8. Supplemental information section (if needed): EUH statements and information required by other legislation.

The meaning of the pictograms and the rules for using them together are in The 9 hazard pictograms and their meaning.

Which component names go on a mixture label?

On the label of a mixture, next to the trade name, appear the names of the substances that contribute to the mixture's classification for the following hazards: acute toxicity, skin corrosion, serious eye damage, germ cell mutagenicity, carcinogenicity, reproductive toxicity, respiratory or skin sensitisation, specific target organ toxicity and aspiration hazard (CLP Article 18). As a general rule, no more than four names are sufficient; more are not given unless the nature of the hazard requires it. Names of components that contribute to the classification only because of physical or environmental hazards are not mandatory on the label.

H and P statements: how many, in what order?

• H statements: all H statements resulting from the classification are given; only clearly redundant statements are omitted (e.g. if H314 is present, H318 is not added, CLP Article 27).
• P statements: selected from the assignment table in CLP Annex IV. Unless the nature and severity of the hazard require otherwise, the label carries no more than 6 P statements (CLP Article 28). Redundant statements and statements irrelevant to the product's use are omitted.
• Products sold to the general public: P101 ("If medical advice is needed, have product container or label at hand") and P102 ("Keep out of reach of children") are added for consumers.

On the label, H and P statements are grouped together with the pictograms and the signal word. The most common mistake when selecting P statements is carrying every statement from the assignment table onto the label, which makes it unreadable. The CLP label tool starts from your H codes, proposes a selection of six statements and shows the reason for each choice. The texts of the codes are in the H and P code dictionary.

Label size and language

The label is firmly affixed to one or more surfaces of the packaging and must be readable horizontally when the package is set down normally. The minimum dimensions in CLP Annex I 1.2.1:

Each pictogram must cover at least 1/15 of the label area and be at least 1 cm². For a product placed on the market in Türkiye the label is in Turkish; other languages may be added, provided the same information is given in all of them.

New format rules in the EU: Regulation (EU) 2024/2865 introduced minimum font size, line spacing and fold-out label rules into CLP. The application date of these format rules was postponed to 1 January 2028 by Regulation (EU) 2025/2439. In Türkiye these rules will apply once they are transposed into the SEA Regulation; if you export to the EU, plan your schedule according to the EU date.

A short checklist before release

• Are the pictograms, signal word, H and P statements identical to GBF Section 2.2?
• For a mixture, are the names of the components contributing to the classification given, and are they consistent with GBF Section 3?
• Has a pictogram that should be dropped by the precedence rules remained on the label (e.g. GHS07 together with GHS06)?
• If there are more than 6 P statements, is there a justification?
• For a consumer product, are P101/P102 and the nominal quantity present?
• Is the supplier telephone number one that can actually be reached?

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• CLP Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, Articles 17, 18, 27, 28, 31; Annex I 1.2.1 and 1.5; Annex IV.
• SEA Regulation (11/12/2013, Official Gazette No. 28848).
• Regulation (EU) 2024/2865 (CLP revision) and Regulation (EU) 2025/2439 (postponement of application dates), EUR-Lex.
• ECHA, Guidance on Labelling and Packaging in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008.