Seven steps to REACH 2018

Seven steps to REACH 2018REACH 2018 seems far away but companies need to start preparing now.

  • The last registration deadline for existing chemicals, 31 May 2018, concerns substances manufactured or imported in low volumes, between 1-100 tonnes per year.
  • This means that a larger proportion of small and medium-sized enterprises will be registering for the first time and large companies may well be registering hundreds of chemicals. Both groups face a considerable challenge.
  • To support as far as we can, ECHA has created some new web content for REACH 2018.

Feedback received after the previous two deadlines has shown that the information on ECHA’s website could be more simply organised. ECHA have developed a new web section that guides you step-by-step through the registration process.

The REACH 2018 main page explains who is affected by the deadline.

The ‘Where do I start?’ button leads you to a series of pages that take you through the registration process.

  1. The first step outlines the basics of what you need to know and do when considering registration.
  2. Since REACH has a ‘one substance, one registration’ principle, step two tells you how to find your co-registrants – companies that have already registered your substance, or are planning to. It shows you what to do depending on whether your substance has already been registered or not.
  3. Once you have found your co-registrants, step three guides you to organise the work with your co-registrants. The page explains the concepts of data sharing and cost sharing and describes how to get support from ECHA if you need it.
  4. When collecting information on the hazardous properties and uses of your substances, assessing their resulting exposure and recording all of this in the registration dossier, there are a number of requirements that need to be reported. These regulatory, scientific and technical necessities are listed in step four.
  5. Step five gives information on how to prepare your registration dossier in IUCLID. In addition, supporting IT tools, such as IUCLID plug-ins, which are designed to assist you in creating your dossier, are introduced here.
  6. When you have finished preparing your dossier, it is time to submit it in REACH-IT; this is step six. On this page, you will find what you need to know to make a successful dossier submission.
  7. Step seven explains what happens after you have received your registration number and emphasises the importance of keeping your registration up-to-date.

Source: ECHA