Industrial laminates specialist Attwater & Sons Ltd has welcomed the European Union’s latest amendments to the REACH regulations, stating that the legislation is crucial to keeping the industry operating safely.
REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation & restriction of CHemicals) has been implemented to regulate companies which use, make, sell or import chemicals into the EU, holding them accountable for risk management.
An amendment was made this summer which added ten additional substances to the candidate list.
Matthew D’Arcy, technical manager of Attwater, said:
“Complying with REACH regulations is no easy task, but as pioneers in our industry it is vital that we ensure the safety of all those who work in our supply chain and the customers who place their trust in us.
“Fortunately, this latest amendment doesn’t include any substances we currently work with and so our work won’t be affected, but it is always a useful reminder of our obligations.”
The most recent example of REACH affecting Attwater’s products was in 2014 when a component of the resin used for its B42 epoxy cotton was listed and the company decided to reformulate.
Matthew added:
“We work hard to maintain an uninterrupted supply. Even when REACH affected our products, we anticipated the changes and were able to stay ahead of the amendments. This allowed us to continue our production uninterrupted and meant we could limit the impact on our customers.”
Attwater stays ahead of REACH by investing time and effort into monitoring its handling of SVHCs (Substances of Very High Concern), communicating with suppliers and trying to anticipate possible shortages that might come about due to changes in legislation. Significant changes to legislation could be afoot, following the decision of the UK to leave the European Union.
Matthew said:
“We invest a lot of resource in being aware of all regulatory changes that could affect our ability to supply materials. It is still not certain how Brexit will affect the UK chemical industry, and what impact it could have on supplies into the UK, so we are taking steps to position ourselves with as low a risk to business as possible.”
