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Prior to May 31, 2015, the European Union (EU) required that safety phrases (S-phrases) appear on each label and Safety Data Sheet for hazardous chemicals. S-phrases consisted of the letter S followed by a number. The precise meaning of each of these appears in the table below. These are now obsolete (see Additional Info).
Risk phrases (R-phrases) to denote the risks of the material were also part of the same requirements and are also obsolete.
Additional Info
S-phrases were used to specify special handling requirements of the material whereas the other label elements such as symbols or pictograms (see CHIP) only indicated broad classes of hazards.
More than one S-phrase could appear on a label or SDS, and they could also appear in combination, such as S1/2 which corrsponds to "Keep locked up" and "keep out of reach of children". In the first table below, single phrases are given, and in the second table, combinations are given. In general, no more than four S-phrases were be sufficient to adequately communicate the safety precautions for a particular material.
Single Safety Phrases
S1
Keep locked up.
S2
Keep out of the reach of children.
S3
Keep in a cool place.
S4
Keep away from living quarters.
S5
Keep contents under ... (appropriate liquid to be specified by the manufacturer).
S6
Keep under ... (inert gas to be specified by the manufacturer).
Keep only in the original container at temperature not exceeding ...°C (to be specified by the manufacturer).
S3/7
Keep container tightly closed in a cool place.
S7/47
Keep container tightly closed and at a temperature not exceeding ...°C (to be specified by the manufacturer).
S29/56
Do not empty into drains, dispose of this material and its container at hazardous or special waste collection point.
SDS Relevance
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Safety phrases were never required on labels or Safety Data Sheet by U.S. OSHA, however, they were required in the European Community. As safety phrases were formally phased out in 2015, they are generally only seen on older (and obsolete) SDS's. If your current sheet has R- and S-phrases instead of H-statements you should contact the manufacturer to get an updated sheet.
Remember that safety phrases only indicated the safety precautions that you need to follow. For information about the risks see the risk phrases entry.
Further Reading
The Basics of Chemical Safety at the International Occupational Safety and Health Information Centre (CIS) discusses R- and S-phrases, and includes a list of chemicals.
Disclaimer: The information contained herein is believed to be true and accurate, however ILPI makes no guarantees concerning the veracity of any statement. Use of any information on this page is at the reader's own risk. ILPI strongly encourages the reader to consult the appropriate local, state and federal agencies concerning the matters discussed herein.