REACH

The European Union’s Regulation (EC) 1907/2006 on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) has as its primary aims:

-          Improving the protection of human health and the environment from the risks of chemicals

-          enhancing the competitiveness and innovation of the EU chemicals industry

REACH requires industry to show the uses of chemical substances are safe. Although focused primarily on manufacturers and importers of chemicals, REACH has an effect on manufacturers and users of mixtures and manufacturers of articles made from, or incorporating chemicals.

REACH requires:  

-          each manufacturer or importer of a chemical to decide whether to register that chemical, if he manufactures or imports 1 tonne or more per annum   

-          if the decision is made to register a chemical, that each registrant decides which uses he supports, and provides:

-          health and environmental hazard data (the specific details are  chemical health/ environmental effect or volume related)

-          information on supported uses of the chemical throughout its full life cycle

-          information on uses that are not supported

-          based on an assessment of all risks to man and the environment, risk management measures for all supported uses

-          if registration data is not provided within the relevant timeframe, that the chemical can no longer be placed on the EU market

-          each downstream user of a chemical (anyone who uses a chemical, other than a manufacturer or importer) to:

-          provide information to their upstream suppliers on uses of the chemical

-          to use the suppliers’ risk management measures or to carry out own risk assessments and identify appropriate risk management measures

-          to pass on to the next user information on safe use 

 REACH will require specific action to be taken on chemicals of very high concern (e.g. human or highly suspected human carcinogenic, reprotoxic or mutagenic substances; and substances persistent, bioaccumulating and toxic in the aquatic environment). These:    

-          will have to be substituted wherever possible  

-          will be authorised for use, only when high level of safety can be shown

 REACH has implications for every EU business and individual member of society – each and every one is dependent on chemicals.  

The formal version of the Regulation, 1907/2007, was published in the Official Journal of the EU on 30 December 2006, along with the associated amendment, 2006/121/EC, to the Dangerous Substances Directive (67/548/EEC). Both can be accessed from: 

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2007:136:0003:0280:en:PDF

Further detail on REACH is available for our Members by clicking here. (Login details will be requested unless you are already logged in as a Member.)   If you would like to join the BCF and get further help and guidance on REACH and other regulatory issues, please contact us or see here for details. The HSE has a very good REACH website http://www.hse.gov.uk/reach/index.htm