REACH
REACH (Registration, Authorisation and restriction of Chemicals) is regulation that aims to reduce the risk from chemicals to humans and the environment and encourages the substitution of unsafe chemicals.
UK REACH
REACH first came into force in the EU in June 2007 and the rules affect manufacturers and suppliers in the automotive industry and other sectors. Importers or manufacturers are obliged to submit safety data on more than 30,000 substances used in everyday articles such as cars, textiles, electronics, paints, packaging, mobile phones or toys.
In January 2021, following its withdrawal from the EU, the UK replaced the regulation with UK REACH, which applies in England, Scotland and Wales. Although the key principles of EU REACH were retained, some changes were required. In response SMMT, working with the Automotive Task Force on REACH and DEFRA, developed guidance, with specific automotive industry recommendations designed to provide a consistent and efficient approach to chemicals compliance.
Further guidance, developed by SMMT and representatives of major vehicle manufacturers and suppliers: ACEA, JAMA, KAMA and CLEPA, can be found here. It is supplemented by an annex titled ‘Safety Data Sheet Compliance Checks’ which provides guidance for downstream users on conducting plausibility checks of incoming safety data sheets (SDSs).