What is REACH? What is REACH testing?

REACH Testing symbolizes Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of chemicals implemented on 01^st June 2007.

REACH Testing is a regulation imposed by the European Union to cover most of the consumer products, where companies are required to report on chemicals used in the whole process of the supply chain and in the products.

REACH Testing is the most far reached and comprehensive piece of environmental rules and regulations to come from the European Union.

REACH Testing is the legislation of the European Union acquired for the protection of human health and the environment from risks that can be created by chemicals while increasing the competitiveness in the EU chemicals industry.

It further also stimulates alternative methods for risk assessment of substances to decrease the number of tests happening on animals.

In principle, REACH is applicable to all chemical products, not only used in industrial process moreover also in our everyday lives, such as cleaning products, paints, clothes and electrical appliances. This legislation has a major impact on most of the companies across the EU.

REACH places a load of proof on the companies to obey regulations. Companies need to identify and manage all the risks which are linked to substances they manufactured and perform in the market in the European Union.

In case if risks cannot be managed then authorities can restrict the usage of substances in some different ways.

How does REACH work?

REACH publishes procedures for the collection and assessment of information on the properties and hazards of the substances. Companies are needed to register their substances and in order to complete this, they need to work all together with the other companies which are registering the very same substance.

Regulatory requires importers and manufacturers to collect information on the properties and hazards of their chemical substances.

This information will qualify and authorize safe handling and registration of the chemical information.

ECHA (European Chemical Agency) receives and calculate and judges all individual registrations for their particular compliance, and EU member states estimates selected substances to clear and sort out initial concerns for the environment and human health. ECHA’s scientific committees and authorities assess that either risk of the substances can be managed.

The legal authorities have the potential to ban hazardous and harmful substances if the risks present in them are unmanageable. They can also take action to restrict and stop the use of a substance or make it content to prior authorisation.

What are the REACH requirements?

Major components of REACH legislations are needed to communicate particular required information on hazards chemicals up and down in the supply chain. This makes sure that importers, manufacturers and also customers should be aware of information related to the safety and health of the products supplied. Having this detailed information about substances present in the products will somewhere allow the retailers to work with the manufacturing base to remove or substitute potentially hazardous substances from the products.

• Registration – Requirement to collect, accumulate and submit data to ECHA on hazardous properties of all substances (only except non-isolated and polymers intermediates) imported or manufactured in the EU.
• Evaluation – Evaluation gives a medium for authorities to require registrants in very limited cases for downstream users to supply further information.
• Authorisation – REACH allows the restricted substances of high concern to pursue with being used, issued to authorization.
• Restrictions – Restrictions are a medium to protect the environment and human health from harmful risks posed by chemicals. Restrictions normally used to ban or limit manufacturers, placing on market or use of a substance.

Why is REACH compliance important?

Compliance to REACH gives allowance to companies to –

• Access the European Union market.
• Saves time testing and money in the house.
• Proof that the products are safeguarding the environment and human health.
• Avoids regulatory fines and litigation.

REACH deals more in the legislation of chemical substances, mainly those called SVHC (Substances of Very High Concern) substances which are considered carcinogenic, toxic and mutagenic for reproduction fall under SVHC criteria.

EU importers and manufacturers are needed to require registering all substances which are produced on set yearly volume to-

• Identify risks associated with all the substances they produce.
• Demonstrate to ECHA the ability to govern those risks.
• Publish safe use guidelines and rules for the products so that the use of these products does not pose any health threat.

Is REACH and RoHS The same?

The European Union (EU), RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous substances) and REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) and RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous substances) have many things in common as both of them are required for market access. Both of them are commonly managed by materials or products compliance departments and tend to restrict the use of potentially hazardous and dangerous substances in products sold.

RoHS compliance testing is a standard procedure for most of the manufacturers, distributors, authorized representatives, recyclers and sellers of electronic equipment or components and electrical substances used or sold in the European Union.

RoHS is compliance at the product level which depends on the European Union’s Directive 2002/95/EC, for restrictions of some hazardous substances (Lead, Mercury, Cadmium, Hexavalent Chromium, Polybrominated Biphenyls, Polybrominated Diphenyl, DEHP, BBP, DBP and DIBP) in electronic equipment and electrical.

RoHS CE mark is an essential requirement to sell any product; it is illegal to sell any product in the EU without having this mark. RoHS CE mark tends to give consumers confidence that the product is safe.

Testing helps to discover problems and avoid fines and expensive product recalls.

REACH compliance testing is broader in scope and leads to all different approach to legislation and regulations.

Both EU RoHS Directive and EU REACH Regulation directs to restrict and reduce that can bring harm to humans and the environment but actually, there are many differences between the two means of legislation.

• REACH is a horizontal framework that is applicable to all products and parts sold in the EU, with some exceptions such as radioactive materials. On the other hand, RoHS s vertical sector-specific law focuses on all electrical and electronic equipment, with a small list of specific exemptions such as equipment and means of transport used solely and only for national security services.
• REACH requires written disclosure of SVHCs in products and packaging. Whereas RoHS restricts the concentration of 10 particular substances in EEE products.
• REACH is evaluated at the article level. RoHS is evaluated at the homogenous material level.
• REACH is a regulation or legislation which is legally binding all across EU member states. RoHS is a directive, which states that each member state must put and ensure it in national law, and have the same effect and impact across all territories.

Is REACH a legal requirement in India?

All Chemical substances which are manufactured in or imported into the EU need to be registered with ECHA. Since REACH is associated with European countries, India also somewhere needs to follow the regulation. European companies which are manufacturing their products in India need to follow the legislation. Any Indian manufacturers or exporters willing to sell the product in the EU market or to European companies in India also tends to clear and pass the same REACH legislation.

Sigma has a large scale laboratory providing comprehensive testing services for REACH and SVHC. Sigma’s REACH process is customized to the requirements of companies and will line up the compliance solutions for REACH responsibilities with commercial interests and customers strategic.  Sigma offers a one-stop destination for the services to make sure that the production and distribution system supports compliance with REACH legislation.

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