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Swiss Poison Class

Definition

A Swiss Poison Class rating appears on some European MSDS's issued before August 1, 2005. The classes number from 1 to 5 with 1 being the most toxic.

Additional Info

The Swiss Poison Regulation 813.01 was put into force in 1983 and has been amended/updated several times. On August 1, 2005, Switzerland adopted the EU chemical regulations and is now preparing to transition to the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals. See the Federal Office of Public Health (Bundesamt für Gesundheit - Cheminfo) for more information.

The purposes of the law were to prevent the poisoning of humans and animals, better educate manufacturers and users about the dangers, and encourage the use of less dangerous substances.

The rating scale reflected acute oral lethal doses (usually in rats). The rating scale was:

Class	Lethal Dose (mg/kg)
1	0 to 5
1S	0 to 5; also teratogenic or carcinogenic
2	5 to 50
3	50 to 500
4	500 to 2000
5	2000 to 5000
5S	2000 to 5000; an unrestricted self-service product

The classification process also took into account sensitization, irritation and chronic toxicity of the poison.

Switzerland formerly maintained three separate poison lists which cover approximately 176,00 chemicals and products. Do not confuse the list number with the Class number!

1. List 1 contained approximately 10,000 poisonous chemical materials
2. List 2 contained poisonous public products.
3. List 3 contained poisonous commercial products.

Special remarks could be included for each list item, providing information about labeling and marking, precautionary measures, transportation, prohibited usage, and physical warning signals (odor, color etc.). Items in classes 1 and 2 had to be labeled with a skull and crossbones symbol and the word Poison ("Gifte" in German). The labels had to have a black "poison volume" (?). Class 3 had to be be yellow; classes 4 and 5 had to be red.

MSDS Relevance

This number appears on some outdated MSDS's meant for the European market and is obsolete. If your current MSDS references a Swiss Poison Class, it is likely out of date and you should obtain a new one from the manufacturer. If you can not find a new sheet, then keep in mind that the lower the number (1-5), the more dangerous the material. One can search the Information System for Dangerous and Ecologically Relevant Substances (IGS) to determine the poison class. See the last link below under Further Reading.

Swiss Poison Class regulations were superceded by the EU's adoption of the Globally Harmonized System (GHS). See the Federal Office of Public Health (Bundesamt für Gesundheit - Cheminfo) for more information.

Further Reading

• A searchable toxic substances list is part of the Swiss Information system for dangerous substances (IGS).
• GHS In Switzerland (GHS in der Schweiz) at the Bundesamt für Gesundheit. Here's a Google translation.

See also: CHIP, European requirements for MSDS format.

Additional definitions for metric system from Google and OneLook.

Disclaimer: The information contained herein is believed to be true and accurate, however ILPI makes no guarantees concerning the veracity of any statement. Use of any information on this page is at the reader's own risk. ILPI strongly encourages the reader to consult the appropriate local, state and federal agencies concerning the matters discussed herein.