REACH, new substance legislation in Europe
REACH, the new
European legislation for the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and
Restriction of Chemicals, became effective as of June 2007. Applicable to all
manufacturers and importers of substances in the European Union, REACH calls
not only for registration of chemical substances but also for a detailed
account of the potential hazards they pose, including descriptions of their
intended use and the degree to which human beings and the environment are
exposed to them.
DSM commenced work on the implementation of REACH early in 2007 so as to
ensure that all substances in our products, intermediates and raw materials
are pre-registered as required before the end of 2008, and that they will
subsequently be fully registered during the period 2008 – 2018. In October
2007 DSM Sourcing initiated a survey of the registration policy of 1,200 of
our suppliers worldwide. The findings of this survey will be available early
in 2008. Meanwhile communication plans for customers and suppliers are in
preparation. DSM has also completed a full inventory of all substances that we
ourselves manufacture or import. This comprises some 500 substances which we
will register ourselves. We see REACH as an opportunity to create greater
trust in the chemicals industry at large and to achieve competitive advantage
for our company by the proactive use of non-hazardous substances wherever
possible. More ...
Worldwise: internal standardization of SHE information
In 2000
DSM started the WorldWise project with the aim of creating a single, central
database containing SHE information about all DSM products and raw materials.
This project was completed in 2006; at the end of the year all DSM units
(except a few recently acquired ones) had access to the database [or: at the
end of the year the products of all DSM units (except a few recently acquired
ones) had been included in the database]. A number of specialists have been
assigned with the task of maintaining the database and drawing up Safety Data
Sheets (SDS) with the aid of ‘intelligent software’. The SDSs contain
information for customers around the world, in their local language and in
compliance with local legislation. The information is geared to the needs of
employees who handle chemicals and covers for example the measures to be taken
with regard to storage and transport and instructions on how to act in an
emergency. The database and our global network of specialists will play an
important role in the implementation of new legislation such as the Global
Harmonized System (GHS) and the European substance legislation REACH.
High Production Volume Chemicals
A few years ago the global
chemical industry, through the International Council of Chemical Associations
(ICCA), launched the High Production Volume Chemicals program to investigate
the health and safety aspects of chemical substances. The chemical companies
that participate in the program do so on a voluntary basis. The program
focuses on substances that are produced in volumes of more than 1,000 tonnes
per year and is monitored by the OECD. The aim is to analyze about 1,000
substances by 2010.
DSM has participated in this initiative since 1999. The company has submitted
35 substances, of which 23 have been analyzed until now. The analyses of the
remaining 12 substances are expected to be completed well within the set time
frame.
