Freqently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Warning notices

1. My product has a substitution warning applied to it. What does this mean and what action should I take?
2. Why are warnings assigned to the whole product, when the component to which the warning applies is only a small fraction of the total composition?
3. My product carries a substitution warning, yet none of my company's data on the components appear to justify the warning?
4. My product is likely to attract a substitution warning on account of a poor result in an OECD 306 biodegradation test. What should I do?
5. What has happened to the taint warning formerly displayed on a template?
6. Are physicochemical or toxicity data that are calculated using Quantitative Structure Activity Relationships (QSAR) acceptable for substance registration?

Submission procedure

7. How much time should I allow between making a submission and deploying a product offshore?
8. How do we report usage and discharge of drilling fluids to the EEMS database?
9. How should I derive the dosage I submit on a HOCNF?
10. How many templates should I have for a single chemical?
11. Why do I need to produce an HOCNF for all products that I use? Even, for example, those comprised wholly of substances included on the PLONOR list.
12. I want to use a substance, which I think would be suitable as a PLONOR. How do I get it added to the PLONOR list?
13. What data is required if I wish to re-brand another company's product?
14. One of my products is a re-brand of an existing notified product, why has Cefas placed it in a different hazard band?
15. If I provide a letter of access for data on a chemical, which I manufacture and/or supply to be used in the certification of a re-brand or as a component in another company’s product, can that permission be time bound?
16. I wish to notify a product but the manufacturer will not give me confidential formulation details, what can I do?
17. Can I have a product classified under the UK OCNS, but not have it listed on the List of Notified Chemicals?
18. What can I do if I notice an error in our Company’s entry on the List of Notified Chemicals or product templates?
19. We understand that there is a new and more comprehensive list of product functions available, how do I arrange to update the function(s) assigned to my product(s)?  What should I do?
20. Do chemicals used in commissioning submarine oil and gas pipelines need to be notified to the OCNS?
21. My formulation contains a hydrocarbon-based solvent, how should I describe this on a HOCNF?
22. Are products used for squeeze treatments and pipeline hydro-testing suitable for assessment of Hazard Quotient using the CHARM model?
23. How do I get Field Trial chemicals registered for use and for how long can I continue to use them?
24. Should a supplier notify laboratory reagents to OCNS or an operator report them to EEMs?
25. Several companies sell similar generically named products, why do they all have different HQs?
26. What constitutes a significant change to the product composition to warrant a name change?

Toxicity test data

27. What is the current position with respect to substance specific rather than product based toxicity testing?
28. When did the fish toxicity test become mandatory?
29. Are there any circumstances under which a fish test would not be required?
30. Is it acceptable to use literature data to support my HOCNF submission?
31. What is the current position with respect to the use of No Observed Effect Concentrations in the CHARM model?
32. OIC 2005 agreed that 'limit' testing should be introduced to reduce the numbers of fish used in testing substances for HMCS. What is limit testing and is it likely to affect the ranking of my company's products?

Miscellaneous

33. What is the difference between the CHARM manual available from the OGP website, and the Excel CHARM calculator available from EOSCA?
34. Do OCNS groupings apply to other OSPAR countries?
35. How do I contact Cefas?
36. How do I contact DTI?
37. Will changing the function of my offshore chemical on the Cefas OCNS database effect how it is viewed under the EC Biocidal Products Directive (Directive 98/8/EC)?