ISO 14001 / EMS Compliance Update - Reach Regulations Update

REACH has 20 New SVHCs with One Endocrine Disruptor

There are four key takeaways from the recent REACH news that 20 new chemicals have been added to the Candidate List for a total of 73:

1.    Companies need to review the chemicals they use in their products and processes and compare to the list of 20 new and 73 total chemicals on the reach list.

2.    If you do not have the chemicals in your operations or if your products are not exported to Europe, then you do not need to do anything further.

3.    If you have the chemicals in your products then you need to determine how much is exported to Europe.  Companies need to notify ECHA of uses around 20 new chemicals, deadline: June 2012

4.    endocrine disruptor chemicals are making the List – These are Plasticizers  

5.    New chemicals may be added to the list more quickly in the future, so if you ship to Europe, or your products are exported to Europe, you want to keep up to date with this list

Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals

Octylphenol is the first Endocrine Disrupting Chemical (EDC) to be added to the REACH SVHC list.

Here is a list of other EDC’s

Companies can help ensure they’re prepared for any changes to the SVHC list by collecting supplier data on chemical ingredients as part of their ISO 14001 management systems

There are 73 SVHCs now

With 73 chemicals now listed, companies need to review the chemicals in mixtures and in articles.

The Criteria for this includes, but is not limited to:

Producers and importers of articles have six months from today to notify ECHA by 19 June 2012 if both of the following conditions apply:

· the substance is present in those articles in quantities totaling over one tonne per producer or importer per year

and

· the substance is present in those articles above a concentration of 0.1 % weight by weight

There are exemptions from the notification obligation if the substance is already registered for the use or when exposure can be excluded.

The 20 new chemicals on the REACH Candidate List are:

1.    Zirconia Aluminosilicate Refractory Ceramic Fibres

2.    Calcium arsenate

3.    Bis(2-methoxyethyl) ether

4.    Aluminosilicate Refractory Ceramic Fibres

5.    Potassium hydroxyoctaoxodizincatedichromate

6.    Lead dipicrate

7.    N,N-dimethylacetamide

8.    Arsenic acid

9.    2-Methoxyaniline; o-Anisidine

10. Trilead diarsenate

11. 1,2-dichloroethane

12. Pentazinc chromate octahydroxide

13. 4-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)phenol

14. Formaldehyde, oligomeric reaction products with aniline

15. Bis(2-methoxyethyl) phthalate

16. Lead diazide, Lead azide

17. Lead styphnate

18. 2,2'-dichloro-4,4'-methylenedianiline

19. Phenolphthalein

20. Dichromium tris(chromate)

Link to full list of 73 chemicals: 

http://echa.europa.eu/web/guest/candidate-list-table