EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, is launching a campaign to highlight business risks under the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of CHemicals (REACH) regulatory framework, and provide training and consultancy to help the manufacturing supply chain manage them.
Under the REACH Regulation, substances used in products or as part of processes may be banned and, unless manufacturers have authorisation from the EU to use a substance, they will disappear from the EU market.
The campaign aims to demystify the implications of REACH and provide targeted advice for manufacturers. The focus is on enabling manufacturers to manage compliance internally and recognise the potential risks to their business. A survey by EEF last year showed that 20 per cent of companies still believe REACH is not applicable to them, while 30 per cent believe it is not important to their business.
EEF environmental consultant Greg Roberts said: “Many manufacturers do not fully appreciate the business risk presented by REACH. Many declare compliance to customers but do not have robust processes in place to provide adequate assurance.
“By working with EEF, manufacturers can understand the real impact of REACH, how to get on top of it, and, importantly, get ahead of their competitors.”
The campaign is focused around two webpages — ‘Where’s My Car’ and ‘Where’s My Plane’. Here, manufacturers can hover over part of a model car or plane to reveal which components they will no longer be able to make as a result of REACH.
One example, trichloroethylene, is commonly used in cleaning or degreasing metal parts. It will be banned from use from 2016 unless approval to use it has been sought from the European Commission.
Through a series of industry training courses and expert consultancy, EEF says it will help manufacturers keep on top of such developments, understand the risks, and put in place the systems to safeguard product lines.
To find out if you are affected by REACH, and what you need to do to make sure you can continue to do business, visit www.eef.org.uk/wheresmycar/ or www.eef.org.uk/wheresmyplane
