EU Report: Companies Need to Improve Chemical Safety Information for Supply Chains

A committee representing enforcement authorities from members states of the European Union has issued a report (PDF) that calls for improvements in the quality of safety information that companies pass down to their supply chains. The report was based on nearly 900 inspections conducted in 29 countries on more than 1,400 substances.

According to a press release from the European Chemicals Agency, the report focuses on companies’ obligations under the EU’s Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemical Substances regulation to prepare exposure scenarios and pass them down to their supply chains through extended Safety Data Sheets. Enforcement officials also sought to determine whether downstream users implemented risk management measures identified in the exposure scenarios, and whether downstream users received safe-use information.

Eighteen percent of companies did not comply with at least one of their obligations, according to the report. These non-compliances included failure to compile extended SDS for mixtures they prepare and failure to translate extended SDS into the language of EU member states where the substance was placed on the market.

The wholesale and retail trade sector had the highest number of reported non-compliances. The four substances most often involved in reported non-compliances were styrene, ethanol, acetone, and methanol.

For more information, read the ECHA’s press release.