A guide to chemical registration

The following steps describe how to register a chemical product with the OCNS:

• Complete a Harmonised Offshore Chemical Notification Format (HOCNF) registration form (Word, 230KB) , ensuring for each individual component all of the data requirements are met (see below).
• Submit the completed HOCNF form by either email or post to the OCNS department in Cefas.
• The OCNS department will process the data from the HOCNF form, generate a template (certificate of use) and place your chemical product on the  Definitive Ranked Lists of Approved Products, Adobe Acrobat format - currently unavailable for download . The period of certification is normally for 3 years.
• The template shows the product name, expiry date, and CHARM type. It will also show either a Hazard Quotient (HQ) or an OCNS letter grouping representing the environmental hazard of that particular product.    
• The OCNS department will normally complete the assessment within an 8-week period from the date the completed HOCNF is received. Applications can be submitted up to 6 months before the expiry date of the product.
• Guidance on completing the HOCNF can be found on the OSPAR web site

Data requirements for OCNS registration

ALL chemical components (except PLONORs) must have the following:

1. Full chemical name, molecular weight and CAS number*
2. Biodegradation and bioaccumulation (log Pow) data
3. Full ecotoxicity data (Algae, Crustacean, Fish and Sediment dweller*), expressed as either EC₅₀ or LC₅₀.

Field trial registration

A field trial registration lasts for a period of 6 months and requires the following data:

1. Full composition data with CAS numbers*
2. Either a biodegradation or a bioaccumulation result for each component.
3. Ecotoxicity data from at least one species for each component, or full ‘product-based’ ecotoxicity data.
4. Approximate start date for field trial*

*If applicable