Welcome
Hello and welcome to the Shell Chemicals REACH information centre.
My name is Carol Banner and I’m the project manager for the implementation of REACH at Shell Chemicals.
In my role, I work with the Shell Chemicals businesses to make sure everyone here understands what has to be done to comply with REACH and that we take all the appropriate steps to ensure our products will be registered under REACH.
I also work on various REACH projects with colleagues in the European Chemical Industry Association, Cefic, which helps to make sure we are well aligned with the rest of the industry.
To implement REACH successfully, we need to work closely with both our customers and suppliers. We all have actions to take and need to be clear about what those are.
Whether you are a customer or supplier, we’ve created this presentation area to guide you through some of the REACH essentials. It will also tell you what Shell Chemicals are doing.
Select any one of the three areas shown as buttons below for more information and browse the rest of this REACH information centre for further details.
What is REACH?
REACH stands for the:
- Registration,
- Evaluation
- Authorisation and
- Restriction of Chemicals
This new European regulation impacts chemical substances manufactured in, or imported into the European community in quantities of more than one tonne per year.
The European Chemicals Agency has been established to administrate REACH. The regulation entered into force on 1 June 2007.
What are the objectives of REACH?
REACH is a new European Union Regulation that places responsibility on the chemical industry to demonstrate the safety of its products throughout the supply chain. It is designed to:
- Provide a high level of protection to human health and the environment
- Provide a single European regulatory system with a streamlined decision making process and clear timelines
- Encourage innovation within the European chemical industry to ensure high safety standards
How do Shell companies view REACH?
We very much support the underlying goals of REACH, which are consistent with the Shell Group’s commitment to promote the responsible production, use and handling of our products.
Together with the European Chemical Industry Council, Cefic, Shell Chemicals have been actively engaged in the development of the REACH regulation and, more recently, in the provision of practical guidance for its implementation.
The REACH timeline
This timeline shows the key stages of REACH over the next years.
- 1 June 2007 - REACH enters into force
- Mid 2008 - European Chemicals Agency becomes operational
- 1 June 2008 - Pre-registration starts
- 1 December 2008 - Pre-registration closes
- By 1 January 2009 - Agency will publish a list of Pre-registered substances
Depending on the manufactured and imported tonnage, registration closes by the end of Nov 2010, the end of May 2013, or the end of May 2018.
Pre-registration
Pre-registration takes place in a six-month period from 1 June to
1 December 2008. It enables the continued manufacture or import of chemicals already on the market.
Pre-registrations need to be made by individual substance and by each manufacturer and importer. Shell Chemicals has submitted more than 300 pre-registrations.
Registration
As many of Shell Chemicals products are manufactured or imported in over 1000 tonnes per year, the 2010 timeline applies to our registrations.
We are working together with other companies who produce the same substances to share data on chemical hazards.
Registrants will also have to provide information on how products are used in work places across the supply chain and the potential for exposure that might impact human health or the environment.
Evaluation
In the evaluation phase of REACH the Agency, together with member state authorities, will check that information provided at registration is complete and accurate. In addition, the Agency will decide whether proposals submitted for animal testing are granted and in this way limit animal testing.
Authorisation
Authorisation will only apply to substances of very high concern to human health and the environment. The agency anticipates that authorisation could apply to some 1,500 chemicals out of an estimated 30,000 substances to be registered.
For each specific use of a product, the registrant will have to show that the risks are adequately controlled or, if this cannot be demonstrated, the socio- economic benefits from their use outweigh the risks.
The possibility of substituting substances of high concern with safer alternatives or technologies will also need to be considered.
Working with customers
In order to fulfill our REACH registration obligations, we will be working together with our customers to understand how our products are used in their workplace. In particular, with regard to potential for exposure that impacts human health and the environment. We will also need to check that the safe handling procedures we advise in our registrations are applicable in our customers’ workplaces.
Working with our suppliers
It is not only the products we make that are subject to REACH, it is also the chemicals that we buy for our manufacturing plants. To ensure continuity of supply of our products, we are working closely with our suppliers to understand their REACH registration intentions using an on-line questionnaire.
Conclusion
I hope you now have a clearer understanding about how Shell Chemicals will implement REACH. You will find more detailed information about REACH in this section of our website. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have a question.
