How does the UFI creation and PCN notification service work?
After purchasing this service, you will receive access to the secure portal. This portal contains an overview of all steps. You fill in your product details and we will get to work.
Poison Center Notification & UFI
We will provide:
- Your product’s Unique Formula Identifier (UFI)
- A Poison Centre Notification (PCN) report
- Registration of your product with the relevant national Poison Centres via ECHA.
Countries for PCN registration
You can count the number of countries in which you want to register your product. This is the number of countries you need to purchase. You will be able to select the specific countries within the portal. If you plan to expand the sales of your products to new countries at a later date, then you can always order additional PCN country registrations.
The EU has 27 countries and the EEA has 30 (EU+Lichtenstein, Norway and Iceland) In the portal you can select these countries:
| Belgium | (BE) | Spain | (ES) | Hungary | (HU) | Slovakia | (SK) |
| Bulgaria | (BG) | France | (FR) | Malta | (MT) | Finland | (FI) |
| Czechia | (CZ) | Croatia | (HR) | Netherlands | (NL) | Sweden | (SE) |
| Denmark | (DK) | Italy | (IT) | Austria | (AT) | Germany | (DE) |
| Cyprus | (CY) | Poland | (PL) | Iceland | (IS) | Estonia | (EE) |
| Latvia | (LV) | Portugal | (PT) | Liechtenstein | (LI) | Ireland | (IE) |
| Lithuania | (LT) | Romania | (RO) | Norway | (NO) | Greece | (EL) |
| Luxembourg | (LU) | Slovenia | (SI) | Switzerland* | (CH) |
*For Switzerland we can create the PCN dossier, with all the needed information to make a submission in the Swiss portal. Contact us for more information.
CLP Label Information
We offer the option to purchase a CLP compliant product label, containing all mandatory information as required by the EU CLP Regulation. This will be provided as a PDF. This is not a design, but a summery of the required information. This will enable you to integrate the necessary information into your product label design. You can also order the CLP label creation separately. Already have a label? — We can do a CLP label compliance check of your label in accordance with current CLP requirements. We will provide detailed feedback and corrections to ensure your label meets all regulatory standards.
Poison Centre Notification for Paints and Coatings
Paints and coatings (and related auxiliaries) are essential products used across industries for protective, decorative, or other technical purposes. These products, which can be in liquid, paste, or powder form, form a dried film when applied to a substrate. Since some paints and coatings contain hazardous chemicals, it is mandatory to submit a Poison Centre Notification (PCN) for these products. This ensures that essential safety information is available in case of chemical exposure, helping protect consumers, workers, and emergency responders from potential risks.
What is a UFI?
The Unique Formula Identifier (UFI) is a code used to identify specific formulations of chemicals in products. For paints and coatings, the UFI allows emergency responders to access detailed, product-specific information about the chemical composition. In the event of exposure, the UFI enables quick identification of the substances involved, facilitating a swift and accurate response.
What is a PCN?
A Poison Centre Notification (PCN) is a report that manufacturers must submit to the Poison Centres. The PCN contains essential information about hazardous chemicals in the product, including their classification, emergency procedures, and the UFI. It is required for any product that contains hazardous chemicals, such as many paints and coatings, to ensure that emergency responders have the necessary data to manage chemical exposure incidents safely.
What is CLP?
The Classification, Labelling, and Packaging (CLP) Regulation defines the criteria for classifying, labelling, and packaging chemicals. Paints and coatings that contain hazardous substances must be classified according to CLP standards, ensuring that they are appropriately labelled with hazard symbols, precautionary statements, and first aid instructions. This regulation helps ensure that consumers and professionals understand the risks associated with these products and know how to handle them safely.
What is the Poison Centre?
The Poison Centre is a network of national centres that provide emergency response information on hazardous substances. Manufacturers of paints and coatings must register their products with the Poison Centre, enabling these centres to provide crucial safety information to healthcare professionals, emergency responders, and the public in case of exposure or poisoning incidents. The Poison Centre plays a critical role in improving safety and response to hazardous chemicals across the EU.
Why is This Needed?
The requirement to submit a PCN for paints and coatings containing hazardous chemicals is essential for consumer safety. In case of accidental exposure or poisoning, healthcare professionals and emergency responders need quick access to specific product data to make informed decisions. The PCN ensures that critical safety information is readily available, preventing health risks and ensuring proper treatment in case of emergencies.
Since When is This by Law Obligatory?
As of January 1, 2021, it became a legal requirement under the EU CLP Regulation for manufacturers of hazardous products, including paints and coatings, to submit a Poison Centre Notification (PCN). This obligation applies to all products placed on the market in the EU that contain chemicals posing a risk to health, and it is necessary for compliance and to ensure consumer safety.
FAQ
Question: Do I need to submit a PCN for my paint or coating product?
Answer: Yes, if your product contains hazardous chemicals, you are required to submit a PCN. This ensures that emergency responders can access necessary safety data in case of exposure, making it a vital part of regulatory compliance.
Question: What information should be included in a PCN for paints and coatings?
Answer: A PCN for paints and coatings must include the product’s UFI, hazard classifications according to CLP, emergency response instructions, and first aid measures. This ensures that responders have the information they need to address chemical exposure safely.
Question: What happens if I don’t submit a PCN for my product?
Answer: Failing to submit a PCN can result in fines, product recalls, and removal from the market. Moreover, emergency responders will lack critical information to handle exposure incidents, which could jeopardize health and safety.
Question: How do I submit a PCN for my paint or coating?
Answer: To submit a PCN, you will need to gather all relevant safety information, including the product’s UFI, hazard classifications, and emergency response details. Our company offers services to help you prepare and submit your PCN to the Poison Centre to ensure compliance with the law.
Question: How long does it take to submit the UFI and PCN notification?
It takes us a few days’ work. As soon as you upload the documentation, we will get started right away.
Question: Am I the owner of the PCN notification?
Yes, you are the owner of the PCN notification. You retain full ownership of the data you provided. The PCN notification will be accessible in your ECHA account.
Question: Is this service for one product or more?
The service is for one product.
Question: Why do I have to pay to create a UFI?
The service we offer is not just about providing a UFI. The UFI is a component within a much more extensive process. The core service we provide is the preparation and submission of your Poison Centre Notification (PCN) to national appointed bodies through ECHA portal, which is a mandatory requirement under the EU CLP Regulation for placing hazardous mixtures on the market. Generating a UFI is simplest part. The PCN report, however, is complex. It demands detailed ingredient review—chemical classifications—formatted precisely for Poison Centre submission via ECHA.
Question: My company is not based in the EU, how can I submit a PCN?
We provide a solution for companies which are not based in the EU. You can find more information on the PCN & UFI for non-EU companies page.
Question: Can you provide Safety Data Sheets in full compliance with EU Regulation (REACH & CLP)?
Yes, we can create Safety Data Sheets (SDS)— also known as Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)— tailored to your product and compliant with the latest EU regulations. Whether you are manufacturing chemical mixtures, importing products into the EU, or distributing under a private label, a compliant SDS is legally required and essential for safe use throughout the supply chain. You will find more on the Safety Data Sheet (MSDS/SDS) Creation Service page.
