GHS precautionary statement
P202
Do not handle until all safety precautions have been read and understood
- Statement type
- Prevention (P2xx)
What P202 means
P202 is the GHS (Globally Harmonized System) precautionary statement “Do not handle until all safety precautions have been read and understood.” It is a prevention statement: precautionary statements tell the user how to prevent exposure, respond to incidents, store the product, and dispose of it — they are paired with the hazard (H) statements a product is classified for.
On a finished label, GHS recommends no more than six precautionary statements unless the severity of the hazards requires more — so SDS authors select the most protective, relevant subset from everything that applies. The complete applicable set still belongs in Section 2 of the Safety Data Sheet.
You may also see combined statements such as P302+P352 — a condition (“IF ON SKIN:”) merged with its response (“Wash with plenty of water”) into one line.
Related Prevention (P2xx) statements
- P201Obtain special instructions before use
- P210Keep away from heat, hot surfaces, sparks, open flames and other ignition sources. No smoking.
- P211Do not spray on an open flame or other ignition source
- P220Keep away from clothing and other combustible materials
- P221Take precautionary measures against mixing with combustibles
- P222Do not allow contact with air
- P223Keep away from any possible contact with water; violent reaction and possible flash fire
- P230Keep wetted with appropriate material
- P231Handle under inert gas
- P232Protect from moisture
- P233Keep container tightly closed
- P234Keep only in original packaging
Authoring a label? GHSLogic classifies your mixture and suggests a balanced, label-ready set of ≤6 precautionary statements automatically — try the free GHS calculators or author one complete SDS free.
Stop looking up codes by hand
GHSLogic reads the hazard and precautionary statements straight off your supplier SDSs, classifies the whole mixture across every GHS endpoint, and drafts a review-ready SDS and labels.
Reference information, not a compliance determination. Statement selection depends on the full classification of your specific substance or mixture and requires review by a qualified professional.