11.18.16
Two months ago, EU Member States approved the European Commission’s proposals to harmonize how companies submit product information to poison centers and other bodies appointed to receive information in the case of poisonings.The update to the requirements include the introduction of a Unique Formula Identifier (UFI) to be included on product packaging or safety data sheets. This will come into force for mixtures intended for consumer use in 2020 and for professional and industrial mixtures as of 2021 and 2024, respectively.
The web-based UFI generator tool enables companies to create and validate codes for their products, which is determined by the company’s VAT number and an internal reference code. The UFI is designed to allow easy identification of the product in a medical emergency and would be recognized across Member States, according to the EU
It is up to individual Member States to interpret poison centre requirements at a national level, meaning the demands on companies handling hazardous products can vary widely across Europe. This makes submission of products a costly and complex process, with companies risking fines or product removal in cases of non-compliance.
“The chemical industry is facing a number of changes from the update to poison center requirements, but the launch of the new UFI tool so far in advance of when the requirements come into force shows that the Commission is giving businesses the time they need to adapt,” said Larissa Silver, “Poison center registration still presents a significant administrative challenge to businesses operating in markets across Europe. That’s why we are supporting companies to analyse and determine each particular countries’ poison center requirements to help them to ease the burden of submitting their products and avoid the penalty of non-compliance.”
Without additional clarification on how to implement poison centre requirements, the level of information required by Member States on a product’s hazards, the registration process, the type of materials that need to be registered and the cost of compliance varies widely between Member States, according to Silver
The web-based UFI generator tool enables companies to create and validate codes for their products, which is determined by the company’s VAT number and an internal reference code. The UFI is designed to allow easy identification of the product in a medical emergency and would be recognized across Member States, according to the EU
It is up to individual Member States to interpret poison centre requirements at a national level, meaning the demands on companies handling hazardous products can vary widely across Europe. This makes submission of products a costly and complex process, with companies risking fines or product removal in cases of non-compliance.
“The chemical industry is facing a number of changes from the update to poison center requirements, but the launch of the new UFI tool so far in advance of when the requirements come into force shows that the Commission is giving businesses the time they need to adapt,” said Larissa Silver,
Without additional clarification on how to implement poison centre requirements, the level of information required by Member States on a product’s hazards, the registration process, the type of materials that need to be registered and the cost of compliance varies widely between Member States, according to Silver
