The Haz Guide

The Hazardous Waste Regulations (and business waste)

The Chemicals (Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply) (Amendment) CHIP Regulations 2005

The Chemicals (Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply) (Amendment) CHIP Regulations 2005, came into force on 31 October 2005. The regulations, called CHIP 3.1, effect all new entries, revisions, deletions and amendments to the classification and labelling requirements of hazardous substances. This has enabled the CHIP regulations to meet the Dangerous Substances Directive (67/548/EEC). Annex 1 in this Directive sets out the agreed classifications and labeling requirements for approximately 7000 substances, this annex has been transposed through the Health and Safety Commission’s Approved Supply List.

CHIP is the law that applies to suppliers of dangerous chemicals. Its purpose is to protect people and the environment from the effects of those chemicals by requiring suppliers to provide information about the dangers and to package them safely. CHIP symbols are useful in identifying some types of HHW. It is worth noting that products in the flammable category with the R10 flammable phrase are in fact dangerous under CHIP, but that the danger category does not happen to require a symbol.
For further information on the CHIP system visit the HSE.

CHIP hazard symbols

Symbol	Abbreviation	Hazard	Description of hazard
	E	Explosive	Chemicals that may explode.
	O	Oxidising	Chemicals that react exothermically with other chemicals.
	F+	Extremely Flammable	Chemicals that have an extremely low flash point and boiling point, and gases that catch fire in contact with air.
	F	Highly Flammable	Chemicals that may catch fire in contact with air, only need brief contact with an ignition source, have a very low flash point or evolve highly flammable gases in contact with water.
	T+	Very Toxic	Chemicals at very low levels cause damage to health.
	T	Toxic	Chemicals that at low levels cause damage to health.
	Carc Cat 1	category 1 carcinogens	Chemicals that may cause cancer or increase its incidence.
	Carc Cat 2	category 2 carcinogens	Chemicals that may cause cancer or increase its incidence.
	Carc Cat 3	category 3 carcinogens
	Muta Cat 1	category 1 mutagens	Chemicals that induce heritable genetic defects or increase their incidents.
	Muta Cat 2	category 2 mutagens
	Muta Cat 3	category 3 mutagens
	Repr Cat 1	category 1 reproductive toxins	Chemicals that produce or increase the incidence of non-heritable effects in progeny and/or impairment in reproductive functions or capacity.
	Repr Cat 2	category 2 reproductive toxins
	Repr Cat 3	category 3 reproductive toxins
	Xn	Harmful	Chemicals that may cause damage to health.
	C	Corrosive	Chemicals that may destroy living tissue on contact.
	Xi	Irritant	Chemicals that may cause inflammation to the skin or other mucous membranes.
	N	dangerous for the environment	Chemicals that may present an immediate or delayed danger to one or more components to the environment.

There are also a number of related risk and safety phrases which may provide information for the safe storage at HWRCs etc. A full list can be found at the HSE.

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i	Related links

Dangerous Substances Directive

HSE - CHIP

HSE - CHIP risk phrases