REACH

Explained

REACH stands for Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals. Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 applies directly in every Member State. It obliges manufacturers and importers to register substances and governs the information that travels along the supply chain. Three provisions matter most for data sheets. Article 31 covers the safety data sheet: when it is required, its language, how it is provided and when it is updated. Article 33 concerns information on substances of very high concern in articles. Article 36 requires every actor to keep all information needed under REACH for at least ten years after the last manufacture, import, supply or use. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) in Helsinki manages the technical and administrative side.