Switzerland Revises Chemicals Ordinance on Substances and Mixtures

SafeGuardSAutomotive, Electrical & Electronics, Hardgoods, Personal and Protective Equipment, Softlines, Toys and Juvenile ProductsAugust 15, 2024

SG 130/24

Switzerland has further aligned the nation’s Chemicals Ordinance (ChemO) with those in the European Union (EU). The latest amendment will enter into force on September 1, 2024.

In Switzerland, substances and preparations (mixtures) are regulated under the nation’s ordinance on protection against dangerous substances and preparations (Chemicals Ordinance, ChemO, RS/SR 813.11, in French, German and Italian).

Among the provisions in this important piece of legislation, ChemO stipulates the requirements for:

Classification, labeling and packaging (CLP) of substances and mixtures
Safety data sheets (SDS)
Use of substances of very high concern (SVHC)

According to Article 71 in the Swiss Chemicals Ordinance ‘Articles Containing SVHC,’ suppliers of an article containing an SVHC on the Candidate List in a concentration greater than 0.1% are obliged to provide the professional user or trader of the article with sufficient information, available to the supplier, to allow the safe use of the article, including, as a minimum, the name of the substance.

The aforementioned information must also be supplied to consumers (general public) free of charge within 45 days of a request.

On August 6, 2024, Switzerland issued Official Collection 2024 404 (RO 2024 404, French, German and Italian versions) to revise two Annexes in ChemO:

Annex 2 (Technical requirements for CLP) - by directly referring to Regulation (EC) No. 1272/2008 (consolidated version to December 2023), as last amended by Regulation (EU) 2024/197 (SafeGuardS 6/24)
Annex 3 (Candidate List of SVHC) – this latest list contains 240 substances and groups of substances

RO 2024 404 will enter into force on September 1, 2024.

The amendment provides transitional provisions for the CLP of substances and mixtures:

Substances that do not meet the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2023/707 (new hazard classes) may be supplied until October 31, 2026
Mixtures that do not meet the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2023/707 (new hazard classes) may be supplied until April 30, 2028
Classification and labeling of substances and mixtures that do not meet the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2024/197 may be supplied until August 31, 2025

Whether you are a manufacturer, importer or retailer, it is essential to have a strategy in place that allows you to feel confident in achieving SVHC compliance. Armed with a wealth of expertise and unbeatable technical support, SGS offers a range of solutions for supply-chain management and SVHC screening for consumer products through our global network of laboratories. With SGS as your partner, you can also be sure of having full support for the implementation of your strategy, right through from supplier training and embedding of procedures to testing and audits. Contact us or visit our website to find out more. In the end, it’s only trusted because it’s tested.

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