IPC Releases REACH Guidebook As Pre-Registration Deadline Approaches

This new document provides an overview of the registration, evaluation, authorization and restriction of chemicals (REACH) regulation that will significantly impact the electronic interconnect industry, and includes a timetable of activities and a review of REACH implications and obligations for each segment of the supply chain. As the November 30, 2008 deadline for REACH pre-registration approaches, chemical manufacturers and suppliers, as well as manufacturers of components, PCBs and equipment, in and outside of the European Union, need to assess their company’s compliance with the regulation. The guidebook offers insight into both the pre-registration and registration processes and provides detailed information as to what substances are considered hazardous. “The REACH regulation is extensive, containing hundreds of pages. IPC has essentially distilled it down so that our members in the electronic interconnect industry can gain a better grasp of what substances are deemed potentially hazardous and plan ahead to minimize costs and avoid disruption of their businesses as they work toward compliance,” said Fern Abrams, director of environmental policy and government relations for IPC. REACH took effect on June 1, 2007, and gives greater responsibility to industry to manage the risks from chemicals and to provide safety information on the substances used in their products. The guidebook was developed at the direction of the IPC REACH Blue Ribbon Task Force after a recent survey by the task force found a widespread lack of awareness and understanding of REACH within the electronics industry. According to Abrams, “The impacts of REACH will be felt far beyond the chemical industry and likely will equal or exceed the effects of RoHS. It’s vital for every company in the electronics supply chain to understand how this sweeping regulation will affect their business.”