Up-to-date advice on restricted substances

The revised SATRA footwear restricted substances list (RSL) is now available to SATRA members.

by Martin Heels

The list of chemicals considered harmful to health or the environment continues to grow, and many parts of the world have legislation restricting or prohibiting their use. It is, therefore, important to know which of these substances may be present in footwear. SATRA’s latest version of our restricted substances list provides a brief summary of the most relevant chemicals that are pertinent to the footwear industry and highlights the material types where these substances might be present.

This tenth issue of SATRA’s footwear restricted substances list has been created as a key tool to disseminate information along the supply chain and to educate suppliers about the importance of meeting the legal requirements explained in this document. Chinese, European and US legislation and test methods are referenced alongside the materials in which these chemicals may be present. Some additional substances, including formaldehyde and allergenic disperse dyes, are usually considered as part of general product safety. These substances are also included, and these recommendations are clearly differentiated from the mandatory requirements in this restricted substances list.

The updated list includes Commission Regulation (EU) No. 2015/628. This will introduce new restrictions on the amount of lead in articles or accessible parts of articles that may, during normal or foreseeable conditions of use, be placed in the mouth by children. This regulation will not apply to articles placed on the market before 1st June 2016 – more information on this legislation can be found in the article 'Lead Regulation (EU) No. 2015/628'.

Chemical testing and consultancy at SATRA

SATRA’s ISO 17025-accredited chemical testing laboratory routinely tests leathergoods, footwear, footwear components and consumer products for the presence of restricted substances. This testing can be conducted on materials before articles are manufactured, or samples from the production line can be assessed. Once testing has been completed, results can be reported against the legislative requirements, or against an individual brand owner’s or retailer’s specification.

We also offer consultancy and training in the identification of restricted substances, and explain the REACH legislation at seminars in the UK and our China office in Dongguan. The next event in the UK will be held on 8th October, and will include a presentation and an extended question and answer session with a senior trading standards officer. These sessions will provide more details about REACH enforcement from a UK trading standards viewpoint. The SATRA Dongguan seminars are planned for week commencing 16th November, and the programme will include presentations on a wide variety of topics, including restricted substances testing.

In addition, we provide REACH and restricted substances seminars which can be tailored to a company’s individual requirements. These events can include workshop exercises where product ranges are risk assessed, thus allowing for the effective targeting of testing budgets.

Within REACH newsletter

SATRA publishes a free newsletter – Within REACH – containing information on the latest changes to the REACH legislation that affect the footwear industry. This publication is available exclusively to SATRA members.

Publishing Data

This article was originally published on page 54 of the September 2015 issue of SATRA Bulletin.

Other articles from this issue »

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