Packaging and labelling services cover a manufacturer's ability to package your product to a specific format - trade, retail or private-label - and apply correct, compliant labelling, particularly the hazard labelling required under the GB CLP Regulation for classified chemical products.
Key points
- A CLP-compliant label must include supplier identification, product identifiers, hazard pictograms, signal words and precautionary statements, all in English.
- CLP uses nine standardised hazard pictograms - black symbols on a white background within a red diamond border - selected according to the product's classification.
- Only one signal word ("Danger" or "Warning") appears on a label, with "Danger" taking precedence where both could apply.
- Precedence rules reduce the number of pictograms shown when multiple hazards apply to the same product.
What This Capability Involves
A manufacturer offering packaging and labelling services has the equipment and design capability to package your product to the required format, alongside the regulatory knowledge to apply correct CLP hazard labelling, including pictogram selection, signal words and precautionary statements specific to your product's classification.
When You Need This Capability
You need this capability for any classified chemical product requiring CLP labelling, and particularly for private-label products where packaging design is part of the service - see private-label chemical products.
Regulatory Considerations
CLP-compliant labels require supplier identification, product identifiers, appropriate hazard pictograms and a single correctly prioritised signal word, alongside precautionary statements. Precedence rules mean not every applicable pictogram is necessarily shown - for example, a corrosive pictogram removes the need for a separate irritant pictogram for skin or eye effects. Confirm with a prospective manufacturer their process for determining correct CLP classification and labelling for your specific formulation.
Two Different Services
It is worth distinguishing between a manufacturer applying labels you supply and a manufacturer generating compliant label content. The first is a physical service; the second carries regulatory responsibility, since hazard label content follows from classification and must be correct.
Establish explicitly which is on offer, who drafts the compliance-critical content, who approves the artwork, and who is responsible for reviewing it when an input changes. This is an area where both parties can reasonably assume the other is handling it - see product labelling requirements.
Format and Practical Constraints
Filling capability is format-specific. A manufacturer set up for drums and IBCs may not be able to fill retail-sized containers, and viscosity, foaming behaviour and hazard classification all affect what a line can handle. Raise your required formats early rather than at the end - it is one of the more common late-stage obstacles.
Where dangerous goods are involved, packaging certification applies to the complete tested combination of container, closure and inner packaging, so components cannot be substituted freely. Label adhesion and closure torque are also worth confirming during a trial run, since both produce field failures unrelated to the product itself. See packaging materials.
Questions to Ask a Manufacturer
- How do you determine the correct CLP classification and label content for our product?
- What packaging formats and design support do you offer alongside production?
- Who is responsible for the accuracy of the final label - us or you?
- What experience do you have with private-label packaging specifically, if relevant?
Related Pages
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the manufacturer or the brand owner responsible for correct CLP labelling?
This depends on your specific agreement, but it should be explicitly clarified - don't assume either party has automatically taken responsibility for label accuracy without confirming it directly.
Do all classified products need the same number of hazard pictograms?
No - precedence rules mean the number of pictograms shown depends on the specific hazard combination, so the correct label content should be determined case by case rather than assumed from a similar product.
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Search the DirectoryLast reviewed: August 2026. Regulation and guidance change — verify anything you rely on against the primary source. Tell us if something here is out of date.