Publication of a guide to understand the interactions between REACH and occupational safety and health legislation

The European Commission has produced a guide for labour inspectors on the interactions between the REACH Regulation (EC) No. 1907/2006, the chemical substances directive and the directive on substances that are carcinogenic, mutagenic and toxic to reproduction (CMR).

These three documents all lay down requirements for the use of hazardous chemical substances at work, and employers will now face two series of obligations. Although the REACH Regulation and the two directives mentioned above should supplement one another, their requirements overlap to some extent, and this could lead to inconsistencies in their application.

This document, prepared by the CHEMEX working group of the SLIC (Senior Labour Inspectors’ Committee), aims to provide EU labour inspectors with a useful instrument to help them in practical application of the regulations by providing them with guidelines on the requirements of the REACH Regulation and the interfaces with application of the requirements laid down by the chemical substances and CMR directives.