Regulation Overview
The REACH regulations, passed by the European Parliament in June 2007, have two main objectives:
Of the 100,000 or so existing chemicals in the EINECS register, approximately 30,000 are manufactured or imported into the EU in quantities above 1 tonne per year. It is estimated that only about 10% of the 30,000 have undergone stringent testing. REACH requires companies manufacturing or importing chemicals to assess the risks arising from their use, and to manage any risks that they identify. REACH also moves the responsibility for safety of chemicals from public authorities to the chemical industry.
Complex though this is, REACH will actually simplify the current legulatory landscape by creating a single framework to replace over 40 pieces of existing legislation. Eventually, this will result in a harmonised system of chemical management across the EU.
Does REACH apply to you?
If you manufacture or import more than 1 tonne of any chemical substance per year, then you are likely to have to register it under REACH. You must identify and manage the risks associated with the chemicals that you manufacture or import, and this will be done by the submission of a registration dossier to the European Chemicals Agency.
The formation of SIEFs (Substance Information Exchange Fora) is central to the registration process. SIEFs will be established by the European Chemicals Agency, based on the information submitted during pre-registration. SIEFs will comprise groups of companies with a common interest in specific substance registrations. They will be used to facilitate data sharing, removing the need for unnecessary testing and so reducing the costs to industry.
For most of the substances that we register, Petrochem Carless will have to prepare a Chemical Safety Report. This document is our assessment of the chemical safety of the substance and it will contain a summary of the environmental and human health hazard properties.
For some substances it will be necessary to consider different exposure scenarios related to the manufacture and use of the substance. The exposure scenario is a set of conditions that describes how the substance is used and the steps that are taken to control exposure to individuals and the environment. Substance registration will only be valid for the uses identified in the Chemical Safety Report.
REACH will classify most of our customers as 'downstream users' of our products. As a downsteam user you have the option of telling us how you use our products, so that we can cover your use in our Chemical Safety Report, or you can implement your own risk management measures set out in an exposure scenario, or you can prepare your own Chemical Safety Report if you do not wish to disclose how you use the product.
Over the next few months we will be contacting customers to ensure that the appropriate information is available.
REACH Preparations at Petrochem Carless
At Petrochem Carless we have had a task force working on REACH since 2005. The regulations will affect us as a manufacturer, an importer, and as a downstream user.
Our task force has been working on quantifying the impact REACH will have on the different strands of our business. This has included mapping our supply chain to identify substances we need to ensure our suppliers will register, identifying all of the manufactured and imported substances that we need to register, and working through our trade associations to keep abreast of the latest REACH developments and interpretations.
We are prepared for REACH at Petorchem Carless. If you have any issues that you would like to raise with us, please contact us at reach@petrochemcarless.com.
Useful Links:
ReachReady: http://www.reachready.co.uk
Health & Safety Executive: http://hse.gov.uk/reach
European Chemicals Agency: http://ec.europa.eu/echa/home_en.html
PETROCHEM CARLESS, Cedar Court, Guildford Road, Leatherhead, Surrey, KT22 9RX
Tel: +44 (0) 1372 360 000 Fax: +44 (0) 1372 380 400
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