REACH Roundtable
Beu, Laurie; Speranza, Dawn; Majors, Mary
(Laurie S. Beu Consulting, Austin, TX; Intel Corporation, Albuquerque, NM; Air Products & Chemicals, Carlsbad, CA )
REACH Roundtable Laurie Beu, Consultant for ISMI Laurie S. Beu Consulting, Austin, TX Dawn Speranza Intel Corporation, Albuquerque, NM Mary Majors Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. Carlsbad, CA The European Union’s REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) regulation fundamentally changes the way that chemicals are regulated and used in the European Union. REACH places greater responsibility on all actors in the supply chain and, for the first time, requires upstream communications from the downstream users of chemicals (e.g., the electronics and IC manufacturers) to their suppliers. REACH requires that all new and existing substances manufactured or imported in quantities greater than 1 ton per year be registered. Registration is phased in over time depending on quantity and hazard. REACH also requires enhanced Safety Data Sheets for all substances and authorization for any quantity of substances of very high concern (SVHC). In addition to registration, REACH drives many other chemical regulatory topics such as basic MSDSs, authority notifications, label and packaging design. REACH has the potential to disrupt the supply chain, affecting the availability of critical manufacturing chemicals. This supply chain is related not only to process chemicals, but also the chemicals that may be required for equipment installation, maintenance and service.