Registration of chemicals

REACH for the polymer industry: a practical guide
Polymer Reach Consortium
iSmithers Rapra Publishing
2012 | 102pp | £75 (HB)
ISBN 9781847356208
Reviewed by Paul Illing

EU regulations 1907/2006 and 1272/2008 – Reach (registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals) and CLP (classification, labelling and packaging) – are ingrained on the brains of everyone concerned with the registration of chemicals in the European Union. This book is part of an e-learning package produced by a multinational consortium in six EU languages. The package also includes an e-learning platform covering both pieces of legislation and a user’s guide at http://www.polymer-reach.eu (access is free, subject to registration).

The practical guide book contains the same material as the e-learning modules, but, at times, in a different order. The e-learning material includes a quiz at the end of each substantive chapter aimed at checking your knowledge. Both the book and the e-learning material provide an explanation of the main elements of Reach and CLP, dealing with ‘who does what’, which polymers and monomers require registration, the classification and labelling processes, the safety data sheet and communication in the supply chain with particular reference to developing and using exposure scenarios. The book deals in the principles and points the way to detailed guidance on the specifics.

For a multi-authored, multi-lingual group the English is very good indeed. Nevertheless, the book needs some editing – for example, chapter 1 states that the book comprises an introduction and five chapters, whereas there is an introduction (as chapter 1) and six further chapters (2–7). The examples in chapter 7 are valuable additional material not included in the e-learning modules. If you go on to the e-learning site and undertake the quizzes at the end of each module, there appears to be a mismatch in the language used – the text is very carefully constructed, but some quiz questions are not tightly worded enough (I passed the online quizzes so I can say this!).

This is a useful introductory guide for those not totally immersed in Reach and CLP, and not just for those working in the polymer industry.

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