As a Gartner-recommended, leading provider of labeling solutions, Kallik is committed to helping chemical manufacturers navigate the complex landscape of regulatory compliance. The EU Classification, Labelling, and Packaging (CLP) Regulation is a European Union regulation from 2008, which aligns the European Union system of classification, labeling and packaging of chemical substances and mixtures to the Globally Harmonised System (GHS). The recent updates to the regulation bring significant changes that our customers need to be aware of.
In this blog, we will summarize and explain these new regulations and the steps you need to take, discuss their impact on chemical manufacturers, and demonstrate how Kallik’s Veraciti software can make compliance with these new regulations easier than ever.
Understanding the Updated CLP Regulations
The EU CLP Regulation is a cornerstone of chemical safety in Europe, ensuring that chemicals are classified, labeled, and packaged in a consistent manner to protect human health and the environment. The latest updates to the regulation include:
- Revised Hazard Classifications: Updated criteria for physical, health, and environmental hazards to ensure more precise classifications.
- Enhanced Labeling Requirements: New standardized hazard pictograms, signal words, hazard statements, and precautionary statements to improve hazard communication.
- Stricter Packaging Standards: More rigorous requirements to prevent leaks and ensure child-resistant and tactile packaging for hazardous chemicals.
- Updated Safety Data Sheets (SDS): Enhanced requirements for detailed information about chemical properties, hazards, and safe handling practices.
- Digital documents: By adding QR codes to labels, users can simply scan the codes on smartphones to access digital product information and safety data sheets hosted on a portal.
Impact on Chemical Manufacturers
For chemical manufacturers, these regulatory updates mean a comprehensive review and update of all product labels and packaging to ensure compliance. Non-compliance can lead to severe consequences, including fines, product recalls, and reputational damage. Key challenges include:
- Mass Label Updates: The need to update labels across potentially thousands of products quickly and accurately.
- Complex Data Management: Ensuring all relevant product information is current and correctly applied to labels.
- Regulatory Adherence: Keeping up with ongoing regulatory changes and ensuring all labels remain compliant.
Key Implementation Dates and Deadlines
Understanding the timeline for the implementation of the new CLP regulations is crucial for ensuring compliance. Here are the key dates and deadlines you need to be aware of:
January 1, 2025: The revised hazard classifications must be applied to all new chemicals placed on the market.
June 1, 2025: Existing chemicals on the market must comply with the updated hazard classifications and labeling requirements.
December 1, 2025: Updated Safety Data Sheets (SDS) must be available for all chemicals in accordance with the new regulations.
January 1, 2026: All packaging must meet the new standards to ensure safety and compliance.
These deadlines are critical for chemical manufacturers to ensure that their products remain compliant and avoid any disruptions in their supply chain.
How Veraciti Simplifies Compliance
When it comes to major regulatory changes like these, there are a couple of ways to go about making these mass changes. Businesses can employ an agency to manually work through identifying and modifying every label and artwork that needs changing, or alternatively, you can invest in software that although may be costly, will accurately make these changes in a fraction of the time. The best part? You’re set for the future too! Any further regulations that are introduced in six weeks, six months or six years, the software is ready to handle them with ease.
What’s the Process with Veraciti?
With Veraciti you have the power to update 10,000 labels in just 14 days versus six months with conventional methods. A lot of this is down to our innovative and unique use of automation. This was recently proven by a Kallik customer and very much apprciated.
The ‘Where Used’ function facilitates easy mass changes by identifying and updating specific assets across all related artworks and labels, ensuring regulatory compliance. So when you’re looking to update one specific warning symbol, you can simply search for this on our system and the ‘Where Used’ will quickly, accurately and reliably locate every use of this symbol.
Furthermore, in Veraciti you can easily search for base chemicals that have been reclassified and an impact assessment will identify all product labels which require an update.
Then when it comes to automatically making changes, there’s no need to worry about any layout errors with accommodating new symbols because Veraciti will flag up any issues. Say you’ve changed the point size of some of your warning symbols and now it doesn’t quite fit your labels, Veraciti will warn you of this and highlight the need for manual intervention.
And if you’re dealing with products of different sizes, Veraciti is prepared to deal with that too. Label symbols are a minimum size based on the container, so when the size of the container changes, so does the symbol. As a result, Veraciti can apply some business rules logic to ensure the correct size is used corresponding to the size of the container.
Not only does this all ensure that your labels are compliant, avoiding costly recalls and dangerous consequences, but it also ensures complete accuracy. Overall this equates to a substantial cost savings, with case studies showing up to 70% reduction in artwork costs by transitioning from manual to automated label generation using cloud-based templates.
Furthermore, with the use of our Automated Artwork Generation (AAG) tool and the Cascade, it’s never been easier to maintain brand consistency. Cascade also allows for integration of approved elements directly into design software like Adobe InDesign or Illustrator for extra control over the assets. Additionally, Veraciti automates the approval process, speeding up the process even further and minimizing the time spent on making updates.
Stay Compliant With Kallik
The updated EU CLP regulations present significant challenges for chemical manufacturers, but with Kallik’s Veraciti software, compliance doesn’t have to be complicated. Our advanced labeling solution simplifies the entire process, from managing data and making mass changes to ensuring regulatory compliance and efficient printing. By leveraging automation and AI, Veraciti helps you stay ahead of regulatory changes and focus on what you do best: delivering high-quality chemical products.
Want to Know More?
Are you struggling to navigate the complexities of the latest regulations? Speak to one of our labeling and artwork experts to learn more about how Veraciti™ can help your business thrive in a rapidly changing regulatory environment. Get in touch today at enquiries@kallik.com or call +44 (0) 1827 318100.