The Chemical (Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply) Regulations provide information on?hazardous chemicals in Great Britain. These regulations are designed to comply with various European Union (EU) directives relating to the supply of dangerous chemicals. CHIP has been amended on a regular basis since it was first adopted as the Chemicals (Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply) Regulations in 1994. Therefore, one may See: References to CHIP 96, 98, 99 etc. The latest version of CHIP revoked all previous versions, so rely only on the latest version of CHIP (currently 2009, also known as CHIP4) when planning your regulatory compliance. The CHIP regulations will gradually be replaced by the European Regulation on Classification, Labelling and Packaging of Substances and Mixtures (known as the CLP Regulation, (EC) No 1272/2008) which is the EU's implementation of the Globally Harmonised System on the Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). Additional Info: CHIP4 (2009) no longer addresses Material Safety Data Sheets (SDS's); those regulations have become part of the European REACH regulation. CHIP4 regulations require the supplier of a dangerous chemical to: (i) Identify the hazards (dangers) of the chemical. This process is called "classification". (ii) Provide information about the hazards to their customers. This information is usually provided on the package/label. (iii) Package the material safely. CHIP also defines classes of danger for "substances and preparations dangerous for supply" and uses a letter coding system for these classes. You are likely to encounter these symbols on European MSDS's. In addition, labels and sheets in the EU carry required risk phrase and safety phrase codes. In our opinion, these coding systems are not only useless, but confusing - why write a crytic code such as "Xn" instead of simply stating "Harmful" Regardless, See: Summary of The Major Classification Codes: E, F+, F, Flammable, O, N, T+, T, Xi, Xn. Note: Some of the letters/symbols used in these tables are also used as TSCA, HMIS, and/or DoD HCC/HMIRS codes, all of which have completely different meanings and applications! See: Why we dislike code systems Note: Some of the letters/symbols used in these tables are also used as TSCA, HMIS and/or DoD HMIRS codes, all of which have completely different meanings and applications! See: Why we dislike code systems MSDS Relevance: Under the current implementation, CHIP4 (2009), the laws that require a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) were transferred to the European REACH regulation. REACH regulations still require an SDS to be provided the first time the chemical is supplied or if the composition of the material changes so that new information has to be included. The now obsolete CHIP3 (2002) specifically addressed safety data sheets in the following areas: (1) The supplier of a hazardous substance must supply the recipient with a safety data sheet containing certain specific information (see link below for a full explanation). (2) The supplier must keep the safety data sheet up to date and revise it when any significant new information becomes available regarding safety, health or the environment. (3) Safety data sheets must be provided free of charge with shipments. (4) If the sheet is revised, anyone who received the substance in the previous 12 months should be notified. (5) Safety data sheets are not intended for consumer use as long as sufficient safety/use data is available with the product. (6) Sheets must be in English. If used in an EU member state, the sheet may be in an official language of that state. See also: COSHH, HMIS, NFPA, REACH, TSCA, The MSDS FAQ entry on European MSDS requirements