Deadline: 15 August 2026. From this date all cleaning chemicals used in professional and industrial settings must comply with updated GB CLP (Classification, Labelling and Packaging) hazard classifications. Products already in use before this date have a limited transition period for label updates, but COSHH assessments referencing old hazard classifications must be updated. Contractors who have not reviewed their chemical inventory and COSHH documentation against the new classifications are already behind the deadline.
The chemical hazard reclassification coming into force on 15 August 2026 is one of the most significant compliance changes to affect cleaning contractors, facilities management companies and maintenance organisations in recent years. Unlike many regulatory changes that affect a single sector or activity, this reclassification affects every business that uses cleaning chemicals — from a one-person mobile valeting operator to a national facilities management contractor.
The change stems from the UK's post-Brexit adoption of a revised GB CLP framework. Following the UK's departure from the EU, Great Britain adopted its own Classification, Labelling and Packaging regulations — GB CLP — which broadly mirrored the EU CLP framework. The August 2026 deadline marks the point at which updated hazard classifications, signal words, hazard statements and labelling requirements come into full legal effect for products supplied and used in Great Britain.
What is changing
The core change is to the hazard classification categories and the associated labelling requirements on chemical products. This affects:
- Hazard pictograms — some products will carry different or additional GHS hazard pictograms under the revised classifications
- Signal words — products previously labelled Warning may require Danger or vice versa under revised criteria
- Hazard statements — the H-statements on product labels and Safety Data Sheets will change for some chemical categories
- Precautionary statements — P-statements covering safe use, storage and disposal may be revised
- Safety Data Sheets — suppliers are required to issue updated SDSs reflecting the new classifications
For cleaning contractors the practical impact falls into three areas: the chemical products you purchase and use, the COSHH assessments that govern how you use them, and the training and instruction given to operatives handling those chemicals.
What contractors must do before 15 August 2026
Step 1 — Audit your chemical inventory
List every cleaning chemical product in use. This includes degreasers, descalers, disinfectants, biocides, surface cleaners, drain treatments, floor strippers and any other chemical products used in your operations. Check with each supplier whether the product has been reclassified under the updated GB CLP framework and whether an updated Safety Data Sheet is available. If a supplier cannot provide an updated SDS dated after the reclassification review period, treat the product as requiring review before continued use.
Step 2 — Obtain updated Safety Data Sheets
Request updated SDSs from all chemical suppliers. Under COSHH Regulations 2002 you are required to have access to current SDSs for all hazardous substances used in your workplace. An SDS that does not reflect the August 2026 classifications will not satisfy a COSHH inspection after the deadline. Keep updated SDSs on file and ensure they are accessible to operatives at the point of use.
Step 3 — Review and update COSHH assessments
Every COSHH assessment that references a cleaning chemical must be reviewed against the updated hazard classification. Where a product's hazard category, signal word or hazard statement has changed, the COSHH assessment must be updated to reflect the new classification. A COSHH assessment referencing outdated hazard data is not a valid COSHH assessment. See: COSHH Regulations 2002 — full guidance
Step 4 — Update operative training records
Where hazard classifications have changed, operatives using affected products must be briefed on the changes. If a product previously classified as Warning is reclassified as Danger, the operative's risk understanding and PPE requirements may change. Training records must reflect that operatives have been informed of updated hazard information for products they use.
Step 5 — Check product labels on existing stock
Products supplied before the deadline may carry old-format labels for a transition period. However, once existing stock is exhausted, replacement products must carry compliant labels. Do not assume that because a product label looks familiar it remains compliant — check the SDS date and confirm with the supplier.
Why this matters for professional cleaning operations
Professional cleaning involves a wider range of chemical hazard categories than most industries. Cleaning contractors regularly use products that fall into multiple hazard categories simultaneously — a heavy-duty alkaline degreaser may be corrosive, harmful to aquatic life and require specific PPE. A biocidal disinfectant may be toxic to aquatic organisms and require specific disposal routes. A descaling chemical may involve acute toxicity classifications.
Where classifications change, the downstream obligations change with them. A product reclassified from irritant to corrosive requires different PPE, different first aid instructions and different emergency procedures. A product reclassified for environmental hazard may trigger different requirements under Environmental Permitting for disposal of washdown water containing residues of that product.
For contractors working in regulated environments — healthcare, food manufacturing, pharmaceutical — the reclassification also has implications for client-facing compliance documentation. If your COSHH assessments are submitted as part of a contract compliance pack and those assessments reference outdated classifications, you may be in breach of contract as well as regulatory requirements.
V-TUF chemicals and the August 2026 deadline
V-TUF's cleaning chemical range — including TFR, Wash & Wax, Wash & Shine, degreasers and specialist surface treatments — is being updated to comply with the revised GB CLP classifications ahead of the August 2026 deadline. Updated Safety Data Sheets for all V-TUF chemical products are available on request. Contact the V-TUF technical team on 01522 787978 or email enquiries@v-tuf.com to request updated SDSs for any V-TUF chemical product.
Related guidance
COSHH Regulations 2002 HSE EH40 Workplace Exposure Limits Environmental Permitting — washdown runoff Facilities management V-TUF cleaning chemicals range
