It is a requirement under the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) Regulation that organisations provide an emergency telephone number in section 1.4 of their safety data sheets (SDS). This can then be used if chemical incidents such as spillages and fires should occur. 

Each EU Member State can appoint an official advisory body (such as a poison centre) to receive certain information including the chemical composition of hazardous mixtures. According to the REACH Regulation, if an official advisory body is available, then its number should be used in section 1.4 of the SDS. However, when the number is not available 24/7 or is limited in its use (e.g. for use by medical professionals only), this should be stated on the SDS and additional emergency numbers belonging to a supplier or competent third party should be stated. All numbers included on an SDS should be checked prior to use to confirm they are correct. 

This task may become further complicated for organisations whose products are placed on the market in several EU Member States. According to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), SDSs should be written in the official language of the Member State where the product is sold. The emergency number used must also correspond to the appropriate poison centre  for that Member State. 

NCEC operates a global 24/7 emergency response helpline service all year round through a network of international telephone numbers and local language speakers. Our helpline is also aligned with the Guidelines for Level 1 Chemical Emergency Response, and the principles of Responsible Care^® and corporate social responsibility. Using our emergency number on your SDSs, in addition to the poison centre number, provides a service to your customer that goes above and beyond just compliance. 

In addition to this, we also provide SDS authoring and translation services to help customers minimise operational risk and support compliance with regulations by ensuring their SDSs are accurate and cover all top-level safety information on their products.

If you require any assistance with your SDS or an emergency helpline number that would enable safety for your employees, customers and other stakeholders, then please don’t hesitate to contact us.