Dangerous substances and mixtures
table of content
General information
The protection of life and health of people and the environment is the top priority when dealing with dangerous substances or dangerous mixtures. Substances and mixtures must therefore be classified, labelled and packaged accordingly. Hazard classes have been established in the CLP Regulation for this purpose.
Caution
The European Commission's Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/707 expanded the hazard classes and criteria that must be applied to substances from 1 May 2025. The "application in time" (transitional periods) must be taken into account: If substances were placed on the market before 1 May 2025, no labelling is required until 1 November 2026. Mixtures must be classified and labelled according to these criteria no later than 1 May 2026. However, a transitional period until 1 May 2028 applies to mixtures placed on the market before 1 May 2026.
- Endocrine disruption for human health
- Endocrine disruption for the environment
- Persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic properties or very persistent and very bioaccumulative properties (PBT and vPvB properties)
- Persistent, mobile and toxic properties or very persistent, very mobile properties (PMT and vPvM properties)
Further existing hazard classes:
- Hazard class: explosives. These include
- explosive substances and mixtures,
- explosive articles, except devices containing explosive substances or mixtures in such quantity or of such a character that their inadvertent or accidental ignition or initiation does not cause any effect external to the device either by projection, fire, smoke, heat or loud noise, an
- substances, mixtures and articles not mentioned in the previous two points that are manufactured with a view to producing a practical, explosive or pyrotechnic effect.
- Hazard class: flammable gases
- Hazard class: aerosols
- Hazard class: oxidising gases
- Hazard class: gases under pressure
- Hazard class: flammable liquids
- Hazard class: flammable solids
- Hazard class: self-reactive substances or mixtures
- Hazard class: pyrophoric liquids
- Hazard class: pyrophoric solids
- Hazard class: self-heating substances or mixtures
- Hazard class: substances and mixtures which in contact with water emit flammable gases
- Hazard class: oxidising liquids
- Hazard class: oxidising solids
- Hazard class: organic peroxides
- Hazard class: corrosive to metals
- Hazard class: Desensitised explosives
- Hazard class: acute toxicity, broken down by strength of effect into four categories for the following routes of exposure:
- acute toxicity – oral,
- acute toxicity – dermal,
- acute toxicity – inhalation
- Hazard class: skin corrosion/irritation
- Hazard class: serious eye damage/eye irritation
- Hazard class: respiratory or skin sensitisation
- Hazard class: germ cell mutagenicity
- Hazard class: carcinogenicity
- Hazard class: reproductive toxicity
- Hazard class: specific target organ toxicity (single exposure)
- Hazard class: specific target organ toxicity (repeated exposure)
- Hazard class: aspiration hazard
- Hazard class: hazardous to the aquatic environment
- Hazard class: hazardous to the ozone layer
Enterprises affected
These rules apply to all natural and legal persons who place or make the chemicals in question available on the market in Austria or use said chemicals in Austria.
Legal bases
- sections 4, 19, 21, 22 of the Chemikaliengesetz (ChemG)
- Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures (CLP Regulation)
- Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/707
Expert information
- Chemicals policy and biocide (→ BMLUK)
- Austrian REACH Helpdesk (→ BMLUK)
- New hazard classes 2023 (→ ECHA)
Responsible for the content: Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Climate and Environmental Protection, Regions and Water Management
