Prevention · precautionary statement
P234 — Keep only in original packaging.
Prevention statements describe how to keep the harm from happening at all. No substance with a harmonised EU classification carries this code.
01 · Wording
What P234 says
Keep only in original packaging.
Prevention · GHS revision 9
Does your label need P234? That depends on the hazard classes of your product, on whether it goes to the public or to professionals, and on what else is already on the label — Annex IV column 5 lets one statement remove another. Work it out from a classification →
02 · Languages
P234 in the 24 official EU languages
A label put on the market in an EU country must carry the wording of that country's own language version of CLP — not a translation of the English one. These 24 lines are quoted from the consolidated regulation, Annex IV, and are the text to print.
| Language | Official wording of P234 |
|---|---|
| BG български Bulgarian | Да се съхранява само в оригиналната опаковка. |
| ES español Spanish | Conservar únicamente en el embalaje original. |
| CS čeština Czech | Uchovávejte pouze v původním balení. |
| DA dansk Danish | Opbevares kun i originalemballagen. |
| DE Deutsch German | Nur in Originalverpackung aufbewahren. |
| ET eesti Estonian | Hoida üksnes originaalpakendis. |
| EL ελληνικά Greek | Να διατηρείται μόνο στην αρχική συσκευασία. |
| EN English English | Keep only in original packaging. |
| FR français French | Conserver uniquement dans l'emballage d'origine. |
| GA Gaeilge Irish | Coimeád sa phacáistiú bunaidh amháin. |
| HR hrvatski Croatian | Čuvati samo u originalnom pakiranju. |
| IT italiano Italian | Conservare soltanto nell'imballaggio originale. |
| LV latviešu Latvian | Turēt tikai oriģināliepakojumā. |
| LT lietuvių Lithuanian | Laikyti tik originalioje pakuotėje. |
| HU magyar Hungarian | Az eredeti csomagolásban tartandó. |
| MT Malti Maltese | Żomm biss fl-imballaġġ oriġinali. |
| NL Nederlands Dutch | Uitsluitend in de oorspronkelijke verpakking bewaren. |
| PL polski Polish | Przechowywać wyłącznie w oryginalnym opakowaniu. |
| PT português Portuguese | Mantenha sempre o produto na sua embalagem original. |
| RO română Romanian | A se păstra numai în ambalajul original. |
| SK slovenčina Slovak | Uchovávajte iba v pôvodnom balení. |
| SL slovenščina Slovenian | Hraniti samo v originalni embalaži. |
| FI suomi Finnish | Säilytä alkuperäispakkauksessa. |
| SV svenska Swedish | Förvaras endast i originalförpackningen. |
Source: CELEX:02008R1272-20260501, Annex IV. © European Union, https://eur-lex.europa.eu — only the electronic Official Journal of the European Union is authentic. Irish is one of the 24 official languages and its H and P texts are printed inside the multilingual Annex tables, but no consolidated CLP has ever been published in Irish — which is why an Irish-primary label cannot be built here.
03 · Legal status
Where P234 is current
GHS is a United Nations model text, revised every two years, and each jurisdiction adopts a revision on its own timetable. A code can be legally current in one system and deleted in another — that is normal, not an error.
| Jurisdiction | Basis | Status of P234 |
|---|---|---|
| EU CLP | Regulation (EC) 1272/2008 CLP Annex IV, Part 2 (consolidated) | Current |
| US OSHA HazCom | 29 CFR 1910.1200 Appendix C UN GHS Rev.7 (final rule of 20 May 2024) | Current |
| US HazCom 2012 | legacy · GHS Rev.3 UN GHS Rev.3, Annex 3 | Current |
| UN GHS | Rev.11 (2025) UN GHS Rev.11, Annex 3 | Current |
Currently in force under: EU CLP, US OSHA HazCom, US HazCom 2012, UN GHS. Sources: EU CLP · US OSHA HazCom · US HazCom 2012 · UN GHS
04 · Substances
Substances carrying P234
No substance with a harmonised classification in CLP Annex VI carries this code. That does not mean it is unused — suppliers apply it to their own mixtures.
All precautionary statements
The full list of P-codes with the jurisdiction switch lives on the precautionary statements hub. For the hazard side, see hazard statements (H-codes).
Wording quoted from the regulation named above. Substance counts come from harmonised classifications in CLP Annex VI — the statements on a real product also depend on the supplier's own classification. Always check the supplier safety data sheet.