REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of CHemicals), is the European Union programme for the regulation of both new and existing chemical substances on the European market. It is designed to achieve the following:
- Registration of basic information on chemical substances submitted by companies to a central database.
- Evaluation of the registered information to determine hazards and risks.
- Authorisation requirements imposed on the use of high-concern substances.
- Restriction of a substance’s use if it poses an unacceptable risk to health or the environment.
Coming into force in 2007, with staggered deadlines through to 2018, depending on tonnage and hazard class, the Regulation covers all substances manufactured in or imported into the EU in tonnages of 1 tonne per year or more.
Reach Compliance Timeline – Click to enlarge
The first major REACH registration deadline was 30th November 2010. wca environment has worked for a number of clients across a variety of industries to meet this deadline, and has been involved in nearly 400 successful registrations.
Our expertise
Building upon our successful 2010 registrations and considerable expertise working under previous regulatory regimes, wca environment is well placed to assist companies with their REACH registrations for both 2013 and 2018 deadlines. We have considerable experience with all aspects of REACH, including initial data review and assessment, integrated testing strategies and the commissioning and monitoring of testing where necessary, as well as IUCLID 5 file preparation and hosting, and final registration. Specific tasks with which wca environment can help your business to undertake include:
- Technical information searches
- Data review and assessment
- IUCLID 5 dossier preparation, including robust summary preparation, and secure IUCLID software hosting for consortia and SIEFs
- Substance identity and physical chemical properties
- Data gap analysis and design of Integrated Testing Strategies
- Hazard assessment of physico-chemical properties
- Human health hazard assessment
- Environmental hazard assessment
- Physico-chemical, toxicology, environmental fate and ecotoxicology study commissioning and management
- Classification and labelling (including DSD and CLP/GHS)
- PBT and vPvB assessment
- Exposure assessment and modelling
- Risk characterisation
- CSA/CSR production
- Assistance with dossier submission via REACH-IT
A particular area of expertise is in the field of risk assessment. wca environment scientists have had extensive involvement in the derivation of predicted no effect concentrations (PNECs) and limit values for substances in water, soils, sediments and waste, and in producing hazard and exposure assessment for chemicals. In addition, we have successfully developed bespoke monitoring programmes to reduce uncertainty in exposure calculations.
Please see our pages on our Exposure Services.
Our expertise is directly relevant to the complex activities involved in preparing Chemical Safety Assessments and Exposure Scenarios required for substance registration under REACH. Please see details of our REACH Compliance Programme or download our REACH services brochure.
In addition to the registration work, wca environment are also able to provide assistance for the later stages of REACH, with socio-economic assessments and technical responses to proposals for Authorisation and Restriction. We have experience working with trade associations on socio-economic assessments and industrial advocacy when responding to ECHA proposals for potential Authorisation, and development of Restriction proposals for regulatory bodies.
Please see our pages on Socio-economic analysis (SEA).
We are also involved in a range of other REACH-related projects, such as spontaneous updates to 2010 submissions resulting from novel data or changes in guidance and responding to queries from ECHA.
As well as preparing Classification and Labelling Proposals as part of REACH registration projects, we can also assist clients in preparing their classification and labelling for substances with later REACH registration deadlines, or which do not fall under REACH. Where substances have harmonised clasifications under CLP and additional data indicates a revision of this classification and labelling is required, we have experience in completing ‘Proposal for Harmonised Classification and Labelling‘ dossiers.
Please see our pages on Classification, Labelling and Packaging.
For enquiries or for further information please contact solutions@wca-environment.com
