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Standards Development
This British Standard specifies requirements for printed pressure-sensitive, adhesive-coated labels suitable for use under marine conditions.
It describes methods for the determination of resistance to marine immersion, weathering, temperature cycling and abrasion and for the determination of legibility and print key effectiveness and includes a recommended method for the evaluation of label adhesion to specific substrates.
The standard is subdivided to separate the requirements for the adhesive-coated label base material from those for the printed adhesive-coated label.
Since such labels are used particularly for the labelling of dangerous goods when transit by sea is intended, the importance of proper application is recognized by the provision in section 4 of guidance to users on label selection and application.
International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG Code) covers the safe transportation or shipment of dangerous goods or hazardous materials by water on vessel, which is intended to protect crew members and to prevent marine pollution. Within the IMDG Code, it specifies that package markings on dangerous goods be identifiable on packages surviving at least three months’ immersion in the sea
BS 5609, first published in 1978 and revised in 1986, it is the only standard known to demonstrate a label complies to IMDG Code.
The supply chain for labels used on dangerous goods still test and evaluate labels meet BS 5609 requirements. However, BS 5609 was last revised 35 years ago. The current version of this standard currently has references to several standards that have been withdrawn or replaced with other international standards, several test methods can be updated to add additional clarification, and several exposures that could be updated to reflect current industry practices (e.g., artificial outdoor weathering tests).
The purpose of this proposal is to review BS 5609 from beginning to end and update test methods, exposures, and reduce ambiguity where possible, while maintaining the original intent of showing compliance to IMDG Code. Doing this will improve repeatability and reproducibility of tests results, and drive consistent application of requirements across the label supply chain.
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