Just released research in the US and Europe undertaken by IPC shows that 40% of manufacturing and purchasing personnel have absolutely no clear understanding of the REACH (Restriction, Evaluation , Authorisation of Chemicals) regulation. Oh and it’s been in force for over a year already.
Should we be surprised? Probably not. Older hands will recognise a head-in-sand attitude by some who hope it will all go away. When the EU introduced its EMC emissions regulations over ten years ago the enforcement was cancelled twice because so many companies were delinquent on the necessary actions.
As editor of Electronics Weekly I hosted a Q&A session with a UK Department of Trade & Industry expert three months before deadline day. The room was packed by company executives woefully short on how to comply (one joker asked - if his equipment leaked emissions which stopped a passer-by’s pacemaker would he be charged with murder!)
REACH it has to be acknowledged is a more difficult obstacle. It is a follow on to ROHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) and covers up to 30,000 different types of chemical.
It should be on every distributor’s agenda. There is an excellent article by Suzanne Deffree (http://www.edn.com/blog/690000269/post/1850030785.html??text=REACH ) following her trip to May’s EDS event (link) revealing, let us say, a certain ignorance of REACH within the distributor ranks.
The plain fact is that complying with these regulations needs an investment in time and people. Sarbanes-Oxley is a good example where every company worth its salt poured in resource to ensure compliance. REACH may not need that level of commitment but it needs some effort otherwise there will be trouble.
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