Survey claims ‘no understanding’ of REACH implications
A survey by US interconnect supply chain organisation IPC has determined that more than 40% of manufacturing and purchasing personnel in its industry have no understanding how the recently introduced REACH – Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals – Regulations will affect their companies.
According to the survey, the same holds true for nearly one third of senior management, 29% of engineering personnel and – more worryingly – 28% of environment, health and safety personnel.
“REACH will have a far reaching effect on any company that buys, sells or uses chemicals,” said Tony Hilvers, IPC’s vp of industry programs. “The survey clearly indicates that our industry is woefully unprepared for the hit it’s about to take.”The survey of executives in the electronic interconnect supply chain in North America and Europe reveals that, even with a deadline for preregistration of substances quickly approaching, only 18.3% of companies have identified and/or inventoried all substances in their products. In addition, only 60.5% of chemical supplier respondents are planning to register or preregister substances.
