REACH - Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals

Published: HSE, January 2009

GENERAL

REACH is the new system for controlling chemicals in Europe and it became law in the UK on 1st June 2007.

The majority of businesses use chemicals and rely on them without realising – examples include the manufacture of finished goods or simply to keep machinery operating and premises clean.

REACH requires all chemicals manufactured or imported into the EU to be registered with the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) in Helsinki. The process starts this year with pre-registration and it will be phased in over a period of approximately eleven years.

REACH is designed to provide more detailed information on chemicals so as to increase confidence in their safe use.  Information on the hazards of chemicals and how to use them safely will be passed down the supply chain by manufacturers and importers through improved Safety Data Sheets.

Your Company will be classed as a Downstream User 1 if you do not manufacturer or import chemicals from outside the EU it is highly unlikely that you will need to register chemicals under REACH provided that you are using the chemicals in a way that is expected of them (e.g. paints, thinners, lubricants, cleaning agents etc) then REACH probably will not mean significant changes for your company.

ACTION

Make one person responsible for obtaining the following information;

• all chemicals in use in the business
• details of suppliers (note any purchased directly from outside EU)
• material handling data sheets for each chemical (contact suppliers)

Answer the following questions:

Are all chemicals in use in your business used in the way they were designed and for the purpose they are expected to be used?

Has a risk assessment been completed for the various processes the chemicals are used?

Are the appropriate control measures in place?

FURTHER INFORMATION

The Competent Authority website www.hse.gov.uk/reach

The UK REACH Competent Authority helpdesk 0845 408 9575

European Chemicals Agency website http:reach.jrc.it/navigator_en.htm provides detailed information and access to a useful tool called Navigator.

Detailed information for Downstream Users can be doanloaded by following this link

REFERENCE

1 Downstream User – Any natural or legal person established within the community, other than a manufacturer or the importer who uses a substance either on its own or in a preparation in the course of his industrial or professional activities.  A distributor or a consumer is not a downstream user. Article 3 (13)

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