The UK Chemical Stakeholder Forum (UKCSF), a joint industry-government body set up to advise officials on managing environmental risk, has published helpful guidelines for SMEs on the Authorisation process of the EU’s REACH directive.

The UKCSF’s guidelines provide a set-by-step guide for SMEs on the ‘Authorisation’ process, a key aspect of REACH. Developed following a recommendation made by the Prime Minister’s Business EU Red Tape Task Force, the guidelines outline how Authorisation may affect businesses, practical advice about applying for authorisation, the procedures required to use substitute chemicals and where to find more information on the issue.

ADS currently sits on the UKCSF, providing guidance on from the UK’s Aerospace, Defence Security and Space industries, and you can download the guidelines via our website.

REACH is ‘mission critical’ for our industries. The complexities of the UK’s aerospace supply chain, and the vital safety and certification implications linked to how components are manufactured and developed, means that REACH has the potential to impact the UK significantly.

In April, ADS blogged about the effects of REACH on the aviation industry following an ECHA report, and the guidelines published by the UKCSF will help those companies throughout the supply chain who are unaware of the potential impact REACH may have on their operations.