REACH (EC) 1907/2006 Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals
What is it?
An EU regulation that is intended to advance the safe use of chemicals and improve the protection of human health and the environment by ensuring companies understand, identify and manage the risks linked to the substances and products they manufacture or supply.
What is required?
A critical element of the legislation requires manufacturers and importers to register chemical products they put on the market with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). Each product or substance requires a dossier of data to be submitted to enable users and suppliers up and down the supply chain to understand the relevant hazards and risks associated with it.
What are the timescales?
REACH regulations came into force on 1st June 2007 and compliance is currently required for food industry disinfectant products and chemicals.
BPR (EU) 528/2012 Biocidal Product Regulation
What is it?
The regulation governs the sale and use of biocidal products such as disinfectants used to protect humans, animals, materials or articles against harmful organisms like pests or bacteria, by the action of the active substances contained in the biocidal product. The regulation is intended to harmonise and improve the functioning of the biocides market in the EU and better protect humans and the environment.
What is required?
All biocidal products will require a registration number before they can be placed on the market, and the active substances contained in the biocidal product must be previously approved.
What are the timescales?
The regulation came in to force September 2013. Product registration timings are dependent on the active substances contained in the product.
Article 95 Compliance
What is it?
A biocidal product cannot be made available on the EU market unless either the substance supplier or the product supplier is included in the Article 95 list of the biocidal product regulation for the product type to which the product belongs.
What are the timescales?
As of 1st September 2015.
CLP (EC) No 1272/2008 Classification, Labelling and Packaging
What is it?
A regulation aimed to protect workers, consumers and the environment by means of labelling which reflects possible hazardous effects of a particular chemical. It is also designed to bring labelling regulation in line with the Globally Harmonised System (GHS).
What is required?
All chemical products must be assessed for possible hazards and potential risks to human health and the environment and labelled according to the standardised system. The hazards are communicated through standard statements and pictograms on labels and safety data sheets.
What are the timescales?
CLP regulations came into force in June 2015
Food Industry Specific Regulations (EC) 396/2005 MRLs & QACs
What are they?
The food industry is regulated to ensure that Maximum Residual Levels (MRLs) of Quaternary Ammonium Com-pounds (QACs), the active substances in a number of disinfectant products are specified.
What is required?
Disinfectant products containing QACs can be used as long as a validated wash down process is carried out after use. In most EU countries (outside the UK) the regulations are stricter requiring most disinfectants to be rinsed after use on food surfaces unless the product has a national regulatory approval stating that it “does not require rinsing after use”.
What are the timescales?
In force currently.
