Why is it important to be aware of these guidelines?
REACH and RoHS: more and more manufacturers, retailers and suppliers are having to deal with them. They are being asked to issue a REACH or RoHS declaration. But why really? What do these standards mean? And why are they so important?
RoHS II (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) restricts the use of certain hazardous substances in the manufacture of electrical and electronic equipment. Namely mercury, lead, cadmium, chromium, PBBs and PBDEs. The latter two are raw materials for the flame retardant properties of plastics. RoHS is intended to protect public health and the environment.
The abbreviation REACH stands for Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals. REACH is a European regulation and, like RoHS, aims to better protect human health and the environment from chemicals.
Why are these guidelines so current?
The rules governing the use of hazardous and chemical substances are becoming increasingly strict. In the EU, it is illegal to sell and import electrical and electronic equipment that does not comply with the provisions of the RoHS Directive. Ethical manufacturing is the norm. If you cannot demonstrate that you are working in accordance with the REACH and RoHS directives, it has an impact on cooperation in the chain. More and more suppliers are therefore facing audits from their major clients, which test whether they are indeed REACH- and RoHS-compliant.
What does a RoHS statement mean?
The manufacturer placing electronic or electrical equipment on the market guarantees with a RoHS declaration that he has designed and manufactured it in accordance with the RoHS Directive.
Which companies need a REACH statement?
Every company that produces, processes or trades chemicals is responsible for the adequate risk management of those chemicals. This includes companies that do not, at first glance, handle chemicals. REACH applies to all companies that:
- use chemicals within the company;
- importing chemicals from countries outside the European Union;
- import or produce products or semi-finished products containing hazardous substances.
What requirements do you need to meet for REACH?
You must show that you know all the risks associated with these chemicals and that you are taking appropriate measures to control these risks. You must list exactly which chemicals you use and for what. In addition, you must communicate to users how to use the substance safely. If you do not adequately manage the risks of chemicals, the authorities may prohibit you from using them any longer.
What happens if you don’t comply with REACH or RoHS?
If you are not “REACH- or RoHS-compliant,” it also affects the companies you do business with. This is because they too must register the use of these substances.
That is why more and more customers are asking their suppliers for a REACH or RoHS declaration. If you cannot provide these, chances are that your client will look for a supplier who can.
We also take responsibility at Faes
Of course, we at Faes have been complying with both RoHS and REACH for years. We have also asked all our suppliers to sign a covenant in which they guarantee to work according to these guidelines. This way we can be sure that we can give our commitment in this to our clients.
ISO-14001
Meanwhile, we have even gone a step further and are working hard to achieve ISO-14001 standardization. For this we are setting up an environmental management system to safeguard our environmental policy. We believe it is important to further manage and, where possible, reduce the environmental risks of our operations.