SGS : EU Seeks Comments for Draft Guideline on PAHs under REACH
February 09, 2017 at 08:33 pm EST
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SAFEGUARDS | Consumer Products NO. 021/17
The EU is seeking comments for its draft guidance document on the restriction of PAHs in plastic and rubber materials in articles under Annex XVII of REACH. The deadline for comments is April 19, 2017.
In December 2013, the EU published Regulation (EU) 1272/2013 expanding the scope of restriction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) falling under entry 50 to Annex XVII of REACH. The scope was expanded [1] from tires to plastic and rubber materials in toys, childcare articles and articles for the general public if these materials come into direct as well as prolonged or short-term repetitive contact with the human skin or the oral cavity under normal and foreseeable conditions of use. This amendment introduced two sets of limits: one for articles for the general public and a more stringent set of limits for toys and childcare articles. It also indicated that a guideline should be developed to assist the industry to comply with the new law. This amendment has been effective since December 2015.
In January 2017, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) published a draft guideline [2] to assist the industry to comply with the scope of restriction of PAHs under Annex XVII of REACH. This draft guideline provides a 'stepwise approach' to assess whether an article would fall within the scope of restriction and contains non-exhaustive lists of articles and subtypes that is considered to be within or outside the scope of restriction. Certain articles that are considered to be within the scope of restriction are also illustrated in Annex 3.
According to the guideline, PAHs may be present in the following materials:
As a natural contaminant in mineral oils and coal-based extender/plasticizer oils that are used in the manufacture of rubber and plastic materials
Carbon black (soot) that is intentionally added to elastomers to give certain characteristics such as color and flexibility
Lacquers, varnishes or coatings
The deadline for comments [3] on this draft guidance is April 19, 2017. The final guideline is expected to be published in the ECHA website to assist economic operators and enforcement authorities for compliance with PAHs falling under Annex XVII of REACH.
The full list of examples of articles that are considered to fall under the scope can be found in Annexes 1 and 3. Annex 2 provides examples of products that are considered to be outside the scope of the restriction.
Highlights of some articles that are considered to be within the scope are summarized in Table 1.
Draft guideline on the scope of restriction of PAHs in plastic and rubber materials in articles supplied to the general public if these materials come into direct as well as prolonged or short-term repetitive contact with the human skin or the oral cavity under normal and foreseeable conditions of use January 23, 2017, ECHA
Entry
Product
Example
1
Clothing, footwear, gloves and sportswear
Footwear such as sandals and shoes other than soles
Gloves, hats and underwear
Print on T-shirts and other clothing
Rucksacks/backpacks
Wet suits
2
Household utensils, trolleys and walking frames
Computer mouses and mouse pads
Handles and holding areas in cookware and cooking utensils
Holding areas and buttons in handheld game consoles
Holding areas in thermos bottles and plastic mugs
Seats, handles, back rests and table tops in furniture
Tablecloths and mats
3
Sports equipment
Frisbees, golf bags and shuttlecocks
Handles and grip areas in hand-operated air pumps
Horns, grips and seats in bicycles and kick scooters
Inside parts of kayaks, canoes and similar light boats
4
Tools for domestic use
Handles or grip areas in tools, gardening tools, electrical tools and scissors
5
Watch-straps, wrist-bands, masks, head-bands and other similar articles
Handles, plastic cases and buttons in musical instruments
Pulse monitors and sunglasses
Straps, cuffs and bulbs in domestic blood-pressure meters
Watch-straps, wrists-bands and activity trackers
6
Miscellaneous articles
Erasers
Carpet piles in artificial grass
Holding areas in writing instruments
Manicure/pedicure tools such as nail files
Outer casings in cigarette lighters
Pocket articles such as cosmetic or powder containers
Tiles and mats used in playgrounds and sports fields
Grips, upholstery of seats, seat belts, gear sticks and steering wheels in vehicles such as cars, scooters and boats
SGS will follow up and inform interested parties as developments on REACH regulation occur. Our expertise combined with consultancy services and experience in consumer product supply chains provides a central point of contact for global solutions. If you would like to learn more about how SGS can support your REACH compliance activities please visit www.sgs.com/reach
For enquiries, please contact:
Hingwo TsangGlobal Hardlines Information and Innovation Manager
t: +852 2774 7420
SGS SA published this content on 07 February 2017 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 10 February 2017 01:33:09 UTC.
Original documenthttp://www.sgs.com/en/news/2017/02/safeguards-02117-eu-seeks-comments-for-draft-guideline-on-pahs-under-reach
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