Manufacture and use of chemicals - Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals (REACH)
If you manufacture, import, sell or use chemical substances you must comply with the REACH Regulation.
REACH aims to ensure a high level of protection for human health and the environment through the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemical substances.
Key dates
- 1 June 2007: REACH came into force.
- 1 June 2008 : European Chemicals Agency becomes operational.
- 1 June 2008 to 30 November 2008: Pre-registration period.
- 1 June 2008 : Registration, evaluation and authorisation begins.
Key issues
- You should work out what your REACH responsibilities are as soon as possible.
- You should make an inventory of chemical substances that your business makes and uses.
- You should contact your suppliers to make sure they are aware of your interests.
- Pre-registration is very important – by pre-registering you can delay your full registration for up to 11 years, depending on the quantities and types of chemical substances you deal with.
- The Health and Safety Executive is the competent authority for REACH in the UK and will run a helpdesk providing advice on REACH.
In this guideline:
