Do you know your obligations, rights and voluntary actions regarding REACH legislations communication requirements in the supply chain?
Of the companies aware of REACH, three in ten expect that certain products will be eliminated as a result of the increased testing costs. One in ten companies envisions dropping products from their manufacturing portfolio. This highlights the need for companies to go beyond assessing the impact of REACH on their own portfolio – but also that of key suppliers who may remove products from the supply chain. Proper project management, staff expertise and training in addition to proper IT-tools are critical to managing under the tight deadlines.

Timely communication is of utmost importance because registration timelines are limited, especially for large tonnage band substances. Gathering necessary data in the supply chain can be complex and time consuming and downstream user’s must comply with new safety data sheets / exposure scenarios within 12 months of receipt - very short time for any changes to processes or substances.

What do you need to do?

Identify the chemicals you produce, use and/or distribute - not only process chemicals but also office supplies, cleaning materials etc.

Identify your key responsibilities and following communication actions - manufacturers/importers; gather information on uses for registration; provide advice on safe use - Downstream Users; provide information on uses, hazards and risk management measures, pass on advise on safe use - Distributors; pass on relevant information to the next person in the supply chain

Identify priorities for communication – substances for registration, SVHC, process critical substances, products

Gather data you hold - on substances, use conditions, suppliers/customers, tonnage bands, properties (this data for sure is held in various different places and IT-systems)

Gather data from your supply chain - Understand your position in the supply chain for each substance. Gain commitment from your suppliers and assess the reliability of your suppliers. Work to support customers and identify uses.

Ensure strict data management – Gathering, managing and sharing these large amounts of data - and when many of these data-elements are new and in addition scattered across the organization and systems - well designed data structures, ownership and management processes is required.

IT-tool with a build in REACH intelligence developed by a company who understands REACH and not solely IT will help you further. The sooner you begin the greater your chances are to be on top of things and make REACH work for you.