Chemicals management

Substances of very high concern are chemicals identified by ECHA as posing serious risks to human health or the environment. Once a substance is added to the REACH candidate list, businesses have 45 days to notify customers if their product contains it above 0.1% by weight. They must also provide safe use information on request. With the candidate list updated twice a year, businesses need a system for tracking changes, not just a one-time review. Enhesa Product Intelligence monitors every SVHC update and assesses the impact on your product portfolio automatically.

Managing chemicals compliance across multiple markets manually is not scalable. Regulatory updates across REACH, K-REACH, TSCA, CLP and other frameworks arrive continuously, and missing one can mean border blocks, penalties or product recalls. Most enterprise compliance teams use a combination of regulatory monitoring tools, structured substance databases and expert support to stay current. Enhesa Product Intelligence brings all three together, covering regulatory news through Chemical Watch News and Insight, structured compliance data through the Regulatory Database, and expert guidance through Professional Development and Managed Services.

CLP (Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation) works alongside REACH to ensure hazardous chemicals are correctly identified and communicated across the EU supply chain. Where REACH governs registration and restriction, CLP governs how those hazards are classified and labelled. The two regulations are closely linked — substances identified as SVHCs under REACH often carry specific CLP classification requirements.

K-REACH is South Korea’s chemicals regulation, modelled on EU REACH but with its own registration timelines, thresholds and substance lists. EU businesses exporting chemical substances or products into Korea must comply with K-REACH obligations independently of their EU REACH registration. Deadlines are ongoing, with the next major phase applying to lower-volume substances.

A restricted substances list (RSL) is a document used by businesses to track chemicals that are banned, limited or require authorisation across the regulations they operate under. RSLs are updated as regulations change and are used by product safety and supply chain teams to screen materials and ensure compliance before products reach market.

Enhesa Product Intelligence offers several solutions for businesses managing REACH obligations. Chemical Watch News and Insight covers REACH regulatory developments as they happen. The Regulatory Database provides structured compliance data across REACH and 400 jurisdictions worldwide. The Focused Compliance Solution gives teams targeted coverage of specific regulations including REACH. Professional Development offers training and events on REACH and related chemicals regulations. For teams that need hands-on support, Managed and Expert Services provide direct regulatory guidance tailored to your products and markets. You can book a demo with one of our experts who will give you clarity on which solution will best help you are your business.

REACH places explicit obligations on businesses to communicate chemical hazard information up and down the supply chain. Suppliers must provide safety data sheets for hazardous substances, and downstream users must pass relevant information back to their suppliers if new uses are identified. These obligations apply regardless of where in the supply chain a business sits.