To ensure that human health is not exposed to the danger of harmful chemicals, the European Union came up with regulations called REACH, which stands for The Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals initiative and has been around since the year 2007. REACH applies to each and every company or factory that uses a specific chemical in the process of manufacturing or production of its products. It is wide to even include the chemical substances we use in our day-to-day life. Moreover, it include companies that think they do not get involved with chemicals. Due to its restrictive mandate REACH demand a greater height in company’s cooperation to ensure that it runs smoothly.

Both ECHA (European Chemical Agency) and national authorities are key players that work together and very close to ensure that REACH implementation is run smoothly.

The purpose of REACH.

The main purpose of REACH IS protecting Human health and environment from dangerous and harmful chemicals. However its responsibilities do not end there as it also:

• Manages and asses the degree of a risk a chemical can pose to its surroundings.
• It provides user of chemicals with appropriate and sufficient safety information.
• It ensures smooth communication along companies supply chain from manufacturers to suppliers of products.
• Ensures that companies and public authorities understand its implementation by providing tools that will guide them.

How to comply with REACH.

In compliance to REACH compliance regulations companies should allow collection and reviewing of properties and the harm posed by certain substances. REACH dictates that companies must identify and manage the risks that emerge from the substances that they produce to the EU. This involves a demonstration to ECHA on how they have been able to combat the harm that could affect the end user. This is in order to determine reach compliance. ECHA has built the Enviropass SCIP database to improve the transparency in implementation of the compliance regulations.

If a substance proves hazardous and unmanageable the authority can ban it. However, it is always advisable for companies to substitute harmful substances with other less hazardous one to minimize the harm they pose to end users of their products. Failure to adhere to REACH chemical compliance regulations can lead to a large penalty which may include your company being shut out of the EU. Penalties for not meeting the guidelines set by REACH may however vary from country to country. These prompts manufacturing companies to have the best knowledge about these guidelines to avoid being on the wrong side.