In emergencies, every second counts – especially for chemical products that pose health hazards. For this reason, Section 1.4 of the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) requires the inclusion of an emergency telephone number that provides expert advice on first aid measures.
In many countries, the inclusion of a designated authority (Appointed Body) is mandatory. This authority must have access to complete product information, including the full formulation—usually provided through a prior PCN submission or via a contractual agreement.
In Germany, we recommend using the telephone number of one of the poison information centres. We work closely with the Poisons Information Centre in Mainz and will find the right solution for you depending on the size of your product range.
We prepare and update your safety data sheets. With our many years of experience in chemicals legislation and the assessment of hazardous substances, we can assist you quickly, reliably and on time.
We carry out the Poison Centre Notification (PCN) for you and ensure that the UFI code contains the correct information for your product.
The emergency contact number is a mandatory requirement in Section 1.4 of the safety data sheet. This information is required under Annex II of the REACH Regulation.
24-hour availability is not a legal requirement in Germany. However, if the telephone number is not manned around the clock, the exact service hours must be specified in the safety data sheet. This would be, for example, Monday to Friday between 08:00 and 17:00.
There are EU countries – such as Austria – which require 24-hour availability.
There are differences here, depending on the country of distribution for which the safety data sheet is being prepared. A few countries also permit the use of the company number, provided it is sufficiently accessible and professional advice is guaranteed in an emergency. Other countries, however, stipulate that one or more specified telephone numbers for national poison information centres must be provided.
In most EU countries, the telephone number that must be provided is free to use. In some countries, and particularly where no telephone number is required by law (such as in Germany), you must enter into a contract with the relevant organisation. This typically involves annual service charges. In Germany, there are seven poison control centres available for this purpose.
The requirement to provide an emergency telephone number and the PCN are to be regarded as complementary. The Poison Centre Notification serves primarily to submit the product’s formulation to the databases of the poison information centres. It is important that the Poison Centre Notification is carried out for all relevant countries of distribution, as otherwise the national poison information centres will not have access to the data that is essential for providing advice.
The emergency contact number in the safety data sheet is intended to enable the correct authority to be contacted quickly in the event of an emergency.
