No worries, BluePrint in close partnership with its raw material suppliers is well prepared and will guide you through...
What is REACH?
REACH is short for Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of CHemicals and is the new European regulation for chemicals that entered into force on June 1st, 2007. Full implementation however runs over several years and will not be finalized before mid 2018. This regulation replaces different EU laws and is closely related to other environment and safety legislation.
For about 30.000 chemicals, suppliers, importers and in some cases end-users will have to collect information about the properties and risks of certain substances.
Purpose of REACH?
With this new regulation more protection will be given to exposure of chemicals to the environment and personal health by improved risk control. Therefore all chemicals above 1 ton that we produce or import (raw materials) per year, need to be preregistered and registered by the European Agency for chemicals.
This is valid for all substances being either made in or imported within the EU.
What does this mean for BluePrint Products NV and its customers?
REACH will also have an important effect on the graphic arts market, if a certain chemical is not registered in time, it can no longer be used!
In close partnership with our raw material suppliers, BluePrint always has and always will take care that the most advanced ecological technology available is used in our formulations. Therefore the direct consequences in terms of very harmful chemicals that need to be phased out on the short term will be close to non as far as the BluePrint product range is concerned. (REACH definition: “substances of very high concern”).
On the other hand registration for ALL substances and their intended used is obligatory and is organized by BluePrint Products NV. Registration will be done for all our products and for all applications of intended use as known to us. This ensures that the usage, application and exposure risk for users of BluePrint products will be registered and/or defined, so both the distributor and end-user are granted of full compliance which REACH directives in view of the products. Furthermore BluePrint will advice its customers on required actions at their end in due time.
What is your Role within Reach?
1) you are a “downstream user” (printer)
Since all registration is performed by BluePrint, your major task is to take the necessary measures to limit every risk with regard to transport, storage, usage etc. as you will be advised formally by BluePrint products NV.
In case a BluePrint product is used within your production process for a different purpose as described by ourselves; you need to report this, so registration for your specific application can be considered and performed by BluePrint.
!!! Distributors who are relabeling or reconditioning the product in a different packaging as supplied to you by BluePrint, are (under the terms of REACH) considered as “Downstream users” !!
2) you are a “distributor of preparations” (pressroom chemicals distributor)
Since all registration and exposure scenario’s for all our products (REACH definition: preparations) will be performed by BluePrint, you’ll have little concerns! You’re main job is especially giving information to us (upstream) and your customers (downstream) where we will request you to do so.
Downstream: Information to your customers is mainly through the safety datasheet as your customer needs to be informed about the safe use of the chemicals. (within REACH the MSDS will become a more extended version from what’s known today)
Upstream: main goal is to keep us informed about your and your customer’s application of the products, especially when this would differ from the intended application the product was designed and recommended for by BluePrint.
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