The GESTIS Column Model as an aid to selecting substitute substances

Under the German Hazardous Substances Ordinance, firms are required to replace hazardous substances if possible with substances with a lower health risk. As an aid to the assessment of possible substitute substances, the Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IFA) has developed the Column Model. On the basis of just a small amount of information on the products in question, substitute substances can be assessed with the aid of this table.

The current version from 2025 already includes the amendments made by Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/707 amending CLP Regulation as regards hazard classes and criteria for the classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures