Thermo Fisher Scientific - Reach Compliance

Reach is a hugely complex piece of legislation. These notes are intended to give a broad overview of Thermo Fisher Scientific's obligations and an indication of how we will meet them.

REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) Regulation directly applying in all 27 European Union (EU) member countries effectively started on 1 June 2008 with the pre-registration of all chemicals in scope of the Regulation.

The pre-registration period for Reach closed on 1st December 2008. Only companies meeting one of the following two criteria had an obligation to pre-register:

• The company imports more than 1 tonne of the substance from outside the EU in a calendar year
• The company manufactures more that 1 tonne of the substance in a calendar year

The pre-registered substances are known as phase-in substances.

Since that date a company could only continue to manufacture or import from outside the EU in quantities greater than 1 tonne substances that they had pre-registered. Companies meeting these criteria for the first time following closure of the pre-registration phase may take advantage of late pre-registration.

Thermo Fisher Scientific identified all the substances we supply that fall into the above phase-in criteria and these were pre-registered.

In addition we have been in communication with each of our suppliers to ensure that where the supply chain has an obligation to pre-register that this has been completed.

Our next steps are:

• To complete our own registrations within the regulation deadlines of either 2010, 2013 or 2018 (these are volume dependant).
• To continue our communication with the supply chain to ensure the substances we supply are registered where there is an obligation to do so.

Our aim is to work with both customers and suppliers such that the implementation of Reach is seamless to both and to maintain our continuity of supply of substances that are Reach Compliant.

At present, we do not anticipate any problems with the continued supply of any of our chemicals or equipment as a consequence of the Regulation. Please note that as a company, we do not provide our pre-registration numbers and that this is not required under the Regulation. However, upon demand, we will continue to provide our customers with all relevant information they may require.

Safety Data Sheets are available for all chemicals (and for Acros products on www.acros.be) and cover the requirements concerning Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC's).

Fisher Scientific sells a wide range of laboratory equipment and safety materials, which are considered as articles under the REACH Regulation. We are continuously screening the make up of these groups of products. Our results indicate that none contains SVHC as provided under Article 7 of the Regulation.

Please click here for more information on the REACH Regulation and requirements.

The Compliance Team at Thermo Fisher Scientific. Contact points for questions:
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