Training for REACH

Highlighting an important provision available from SATRA.

The inclusion of articles in the European REACH regulation impacted upon businesses beyond the chemical industry. Since the regulation’s publication in 2006, SATRA has been helping its members to understand the implications and practical consequences of the legislation on the supply of footwear and other consumer products.

Our first presentation on the subject acted purely as an introduction to the regulation and what it meant. This developed alongside our work on the analysis of restricted substances, and led to the provision of full-day SATRA seminars on REACH and restricted substances.

These events are normally run twice a year to give delegates an understanding of the legislation, their individual roles and obligations, and to help them to use and develop Restricted Substances Lists (RSLs) to manage harmful substances across the supply chain.

The REACH seminars include a detailed introduction to the legislation and identification of the particular clauses that impact on materials used in footwear construction. They also consider some of the specific restrictions on the most hazardous substances that have been identified, and explain where they can be found. The programme also includes practical steps for compliance, while looking at how to create a brand RSL, prepare a testing regime to give maximum impact across the full range of styles, and understand test reports.

The next opportunity members will have to attend a SATRA REACH seminar is 19th March 2015.

International impact

Despite the regulations applying only in the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA), the demands on the supply chains extend well beyond the European borders. This has resulted in members of SATRA staff presenting REACH topics during international marketing events in India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia and the USA. This is in addition to running full seminars for delegates attending our China technical seminar programme, the next of which will be presented on 20th November 2014 at our Dongguan office.

Normally, attendees at the REACH and restricted substances seminars are members of staff who have responsibility for compliance with REACH as part of the quality function or product technologists. However, for many larger organisations, there are other employees who will need an appreciation of the basics of REACH (although not in the detail that warrants attendance at a full-day training course). We therefore offer tailored courses for particular organisations, either to be delivered at SATRA premises (in Kettering or China), at their own headquarters or a convenient venue for their employees and/or a selection of their suppliers and customers.

The advantage of hosting a bespoke course is that the agenda can be tailored to be your product groups. We have often found that groups of colleagues will raise points together that would not be considered in open forum.

If you have more than three or four delegates that require training, it is probably worthwhile arranging a bespoke course.

The Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) requirements under REACH require that organisations respond to customer queries about these chemicals in a timely manner, Therefore, we have arranged a customer service training session which can be linked to your own policy on REACH communications. Small groups of customer-facing members of staff can be trained without diminishing your company’s front line service.

Publishing Data

This article was originally published on page 36 of the November 2014 issue of SATRA Bulletin.

Other articles from this issue »

---