The Chemicals Ordinance stipulates the requirements for the placing on the market of substances and preparations. It also states certain conditions for their sale.
In particular, the ChemO governs:
- classification, labelling and packaging of substances and preparations,
- exposure scenarios and the safety data sheet,
- notification and communication of new substances,
- notification of substances and preparations,
- conditions for the sale of substances and preparations of groups 1 and 2, and
- use of substances of very high concern (SVHC).
The ChemO is largely harmonised with the European REACH and CLP Ordinances, apart from procedures relating to the registration of substances.
Numerous articles of ChemO refer directly to articles of REACH or CLP, and state which edition is valid. These Regulations have to be consulted in order to apply the ChemO.
The purely technical provisions are found in the annexes of the ChemO and are updated by means of a simplified procedure without consultation.
Limitations and authorisation procedures for certain substances are defined in the Chemical Risk Reduction Ordinance (ORRChem).
List of substances of very high concern (SVHC)
The list of the substances of very high concern from Annex 3 ChemO can be obtained in digital form under ‘Documents’.
European Legislation
A consolidated version of the REACH and CLP Regulations giving guidance to the various updates is available on the ECHA website.
The link to the Regulations can be found on this page under ‘Legal basis’.
Last modification 02.10.2023
