Overview of REACH

REACH stands for Registration Evaluation and Authorisation of CHemicals. It is a single, coherent European chemical control Regulation [(EC) No 1907/2006)] that became law on 01 June 2007 and is a legal instrument in all 27 European Union Member States (Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, Bulgaria and Romania).  Enforcement is the responsibility of each of the member states.

REACH requires industry to be responsible for the safe manufacture and use of chemical substances.  Manufacturers/Importers must register all substances manufactured/imported in quantities of 1 tonne or more per manufacturer/importer.  It applies to all chemicals—both new and existing—and includes chemicals used in industrial processes but also products. Its process consists of pre-registration of chemicals, followed by Registration and Evaluation, followed by Authorization of those CHemicals having higher risk profiles. It places greater responsibility on industry to manage the risks that chemicals may pose to health and the environment, especially substances of very high concern (SVHC) which include carcinogens, mutagens, reproductive toxins, persistent bio-accumulative toxins (PBTs), and very persistent, very bio-accumulative substances (vPvBs).

Lubrizol has organized formal REACH Management Teams to evaluate and plan for the impact of REACH on its key businesses.  These global teams are comprised of managers who are experts in product stewardship, R&D, new product development, sales, marketing, operations, supply chain and purchasing.  We continually review the REACH requirements to ensure Lubrizol and our customers remain in compliance and avoid any unnecessary interruption of business. We view this as a long-term project requiring intense work—and have committed the resources to undertake it.

Lubrizol has organized a database of the substances we manufacture and/or import into the EU by legal entity and are proceeding to pre-register all eligible substances. Additionally, we have worked with our suppliers to ensure we understand their intent concerning the pre-registration and subsequently the registration of the substances we purchase.  Based on questionnaires and interviews with key suppliers, we are confident that the supplier risk acceptably low.

Lubrizol is also an active participant in REACH implementation activities through its industry associations. Further, members of the Lubrizol teams have been sought out as experts to speak at REACH symposia and have been interviewed in respected publications.

This document is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.  While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, The Lubrizol Corporation cannot be held liable for any errors in or any reliance upon this information.