Chemical and product management
Svenska kraftnät aims to phase out the use of the most hazardous chemicals and reduce the risks to human health and the environment when using chemicals.
A proper and safe handling of chemicals are of high importance. It is also important that selected products are as good as possible from an environmental and health perspective. An active product selection must precede all use of chemicals.
The requirements apply to all suppliers with agreements established with Svenska kraftnät from October 2014 onwards. They apply to construction, operations and maintenance.
Log into Chemsoft Opens in a new windowFor further question about chemical management please contact: kemikalier@svk.se
Process description: 1. a need for use of a chemical has arisen. 2. Active Product Selection (search for classification, if needed search for a review in Chemsoft, make a list of chemicals, make your choice of a certain chemical in order of priority A-D). 3. Special Conditions being fulfilled (risk analysis, product selection analysis). 4. Start to use the chemical.
As a supplier, you must choose your chemical based on information about its classification according to Svenska kraftnät. All chemicals must have a class A to D, except for exempt chemicals, such as products not classified as hazardous under GHS. A is least hazardous and D is most hazardous, A = First choice, B = Risk reduction, C = Phasing-out, D = Prohibited.
All chemical products in Svenska kraftnät's operations that are subject to label must be reviewed and classified by the supplier before use. All chemicals subject to labelling must be classified. Classified chemicals can be found in chemical management systems Chemsoft or BASTA
• Chemsoft Class A or BASTA registered product should be chosen in the first place. There are no special conditions for using these.
• Chemsoft Class B or BASTA-registered product, classified BETA, contains risk reduction substances and may be used if special conditions are met.
• Chemsoft Class C contains phase-out substances and may only be used if there are no alternatives and special conditions are met.
• Chemsoft Class D contains substances that are listed in TR13-04-02 (Svenska kraftnät's prohibited list of chemicals) must not appear in chemical products and products used in Svenska kraftnät’s operations.
Chemicals may only be purchased/used when classification exists and the conditions as above met.
First check if the chemical is classified in BASTA, Svenska kraftnät’s Chemsoft or the Swedish Transport Administration’s Chemsoft. If the chemical has a classification, you need to check that the version date on the safety data sheet corresponds to what has been reviewed.
For chemicals not having a classification, an application must be made in Svenska kraftnät’s chemical handling system Chemsoft. Class C and D chemicals require an application for each new application of use. All chemicals require an application when the Safety data sheet has been reviewed.
Keep in mind that some products are exemted, including not classified as hazardous under GHS.
The contractor for each assignment should prepare an object-specific chemicals list.
Chemicals list shall contain at least:
- The product name
- Product type (what the product is to be used for)
- Estimated annual quantity used in the project or maintenance area
- Information about the product's health-and environmental damage potential
- Information about the product's classification with regard to health or environmental hazards
- Chemsoft classification (A, B, C or D). Products, which need not be classified, are indicated with an exclamation mark (!).
- Note if there is a need for training and/or medical examination in order to handle the product.
- Built in, stand-alone chemical products, and chemical products to be supplied to Svenska kraftnät as reserve materials, must also be included in the chemicals list.
Safety data sheets should be in the language spoken in the workplace as well as in Swedish. The date of issue of safety data sheets should not be over three years old. When chemical products are imported to Sweden, the Supplier is responsible for adherence to applicable laws and requirements under REACH and the Swedish Chemicals Agency's regulations.
The Supplier is responsible for ensuring that registration with ECHA and the Swedish Chemicals Agency takes place as required by Regulation (EU) no. 1272/2008 (CLP) or Regulation (2008:245) on chemical products and biotechnical organisms.
Read more about Laws and regulations regarding safety data sheets:
Säkerhetsdatablad - Kemikalieinspektionen
Chemical products subject to labelling requirements must be clearly labelled in accordance with the CLP regulation (Regulation (EU) no. 1272/2008).
If a chemical product subject to labelling requirements is transferred from its original packaging to new packaging, the new packaging must also be labelled.
If possible, chemical products must only be stored at the work site during the time when being used; chemical products must then be removed as to minimize storage time on site. When chemical products need to be stored at the work site for longer periods, they must be stored in as safe a manner as possible.
Specific requirements for the SF6-gas:
- When handling appliances and gas insulated switchgear containing SF6, necessary measures shall be carried out to prevent SF6-gas from being released.
- All personnel whose task is to install, maintain, repair or disassemble electrical switches and other equipment containing SF6 must be certified as in EU implementation regulation (EU) 2015/206.
- SF6-gas must not be stored in the Customer’s operational station plants. The supplier is responsible for storing and providing SF6-gas when necessary. Storage periods for the SF6-gas on the construction site should be minimized as far as possible. Storage should occur at a single designated place, clearly cordoned from traffic and collision-protected.
- For jobs that require opening of gas storage room, SF6-gas shall be taken to gas processing equipment for storage, treatment and reuse. In cases where the gas cannot be reused, it must be removed for destruction.
For all purchased products, such as building materials, equipment and chemical products, documentation must be available in form of a product declaration or equivalent and a safety data sheet (chemicals). The documentation shall be broken down by commodity/product and be in Swedish or in English.
The documentation shall contain at least:
- Materials and components of the product. The content must be in weight percentage (weight %) of the entire product or in grams.
- Information whether the product is classified as hazardous waste by demolition.
- Information about whether the product contains built in stand-alone* chemicals, such as transformer oil in transformers. In those cases, information about the chemicals must be provided in accordance with the requirements for chemical products above.
Substances that are listed in Svenska kraftnäts' prohibited list TR13-04-02 must not appear in products used in Svenska kraftnäts operations.
The contractor must inform the client in writing if the presence of substances that are on the client's prohibited list cannot be avoided. The contractor must also inform in writing about occurrences of particularly dangerous substances according to REACH Regulation's candidate list (Article 59 of Regulation [EC] No. 1907/2006), and which occur in a concentration above 0.1% by weight (1000 mg/kg) per substance in the offered products. 0.1 % by weight applies to every component of an item.
Chemical risk sources must be listed and included in the risk management process.
* Built-in stand-alone chemicals do not only refer to e.g. oils that are consumed and refilled during the product's lifetime, but also chemicals that are not supposed to be refilled. Examples of hermetically sealed devices and equipment. The purpose of providing safety data sheets for built-in stand-alone chemicals is so that the handling of the chemicals must be correct partly in the event of an injury/accident and partly in connection with demolition/disposal.
More information about requirements for reporting product details can be found here: Reporting material and equipment (.pdf) Opens in a new window
The substitution principle
"Persons who pursue an activity or take a measure, or intend to do so, shall avoid using or selling chemical products or biotechnical organisms that may involve risks to human health or the environment, if products or organisms that are assumed to be less dangerous can be used instead. The same requirement shall apply to goods that contain or are treated with a chemical product or a biotechnical organism."
Chapter 2 Section 6, the Swedish Environmental Code