REACH — European Regulation

REACH is EU Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 on the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals.

Its name sums up its four processes (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) and it has applied since 1 June 2007. Every manufacturer or importer placing a substance on the market in quantities of one tonne or more per year must register it with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), with data on its properties and risks: without registration, the substance cannot be placed on the market. The authorities evaluate these dossiers. Substances of very high concern (SVHC) can be included in a candidate list and then made subject to authorisation; others are restricted for certain uses. REACH applies in the EU and in Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

What is registered are substances, not finished products. A manufacturer of cleaning products that mixes substances is, in REACH terms, a downstream user: it must use substances registered for the intended uses and pass the safety information on to its customers. The main tool for this is the safety data sheet (SDS), whose format is set by Annex II of REACH. The supplier must provide it for hazardous substances and mixtures, in the language of the country and updated when new information becomes available. It has 16 sections, including hazard identification, composition, first aid, handling and storage, exposure controls and personal protection, and ecological information.

REACH coexists with other regulations: CLP sets the classification and labelling of hazards, and disinfectants must also be authorised as biocides. For the professional user, the practical step is to have the SDS for each product, keep it accessible to staff and apply its protective measures.

More information: CLP · Biocides (BPR) · Chemical waste control · Professional cleaning