Dangerous substances and mixtures

General information

Protection of life, human health and the environment are of the utmost importance when dealing with dangerous substances or dangerous mixtures.

There are 28 hazard classes:

1. Hazard class 1: explosive substances/mixtures and explosive articles. These include
   1. explosive substances and mixtures,
   2. explosive articles, except devices containing explosive substances or mixtures in such quantity or of such a character that their inadvertent or accidental ignition or initiation does not cause any effect external to the device either by projection, fire, smoke, heat or loud noise, an
   3. substances, mixtures and articles not mentioned in points a) and b) that are manufactured with a view to producing a practical, explosive or pyrotechnic effect.
2. Hazard class 2: flammable gases
3. Hazard class 3: aerosols
4. Hazard class 4: oxidising gases
5. Hazard class 5: gases under pressure
6. Hazard class 6: flammable liquids
7. Hazard class 7: flammable solids
8. Hazard class 8: self-reactive substances or mixtures
9. Hazard class 9: spontaneously flammable (pyrophoric) liquids
10. Hazard class 10: spontaneously flammable (pyrophoric) solids
11. Hazard class 11: self-heating substances or mixtures
12. Hazard class 12: substances and mixtures which in contact with water emit flammable gases
13. Hazard class 13: oxidising liquids
14. Hazard class 14: oxidising solids
15. Hazard class 15: organic peroxides
16. Hazard class 16: corrosive to metals
17. Hazard class 17: acute toxicity, broken down by strength of effect into four categories for the following routes of exposure:
    1. acute toxicity – oral,
    2. acute toxicity – dermal,
    3. acute toxicity – inhalation
18. Hazard class 18: corrosive/irritant to ski
19. Hazard class 19: serious eye damage/eye irritation
20. Hazard class 20: corrosive to the respiratory tract or skin
21. Hazard class 21: germ cell mutagenicity
22. Hazard class 22: carcinogenicity
23. Hazard class 23: reproductive toxicity
24. Hazard class 24: specific target organ toxicity (single exposure)
25. Hazard class 25: target organ toxicity (repeated exposure)
26. Hazard class 26: aspiration hazard
27. Hazard class 27: hazardous to the aquatic environment
28. Hazard class 28: hazardous to the ozone layer

Enterprises affected

These rules apply to all natural and legal persons who place or make the chemicals in question available on the market in Austria or use said chemicals in Austria.

Legal bases

• sections 4, 19, 21, 22 of the Chemikaliengesetz (ChemG)
• EU regulation on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures (CLP Regulation)

Expert information

Chemicals policy and biocide (→ BMK)