Agenda
After nearly 10 years the REACH regulation is firmly established as the cornerstone of safe management and use of chemicals within the EU. The various protocols of the regulation are all now active and are impacting on virtually all industry sectors and business activities from manufacture to retail.
With regulation comes enforcement and inspection – and lots of questions:
- Who are the regulators?
- Is each Member State the same?
- How is enforcement co-ordinated?
- What is the focus of inspections? and
- What are the penalties for non-compliance?
Using a mixture of presentations, discussions and exercises this workshop will answer all these but more importantly it will provide attendees with the information they need to ensure that they can manage inspection with confidence and, just as importantly, what action is needed to embed REACH compliance into the company management and ethos.
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Session 1 – Introduction to enforcement
The European Chemicals Agency is charged with managing REACH across the EU but each member state (MS) has legislated for enforcement and penalties. It is important to understand who is responsible for what and how enforcement is coordinated across all member states.
Roles and responsibilities of regulators
• ECHA
• MSCA (Member State Competent Authority)
• Customs
• MS variationsCoordination between regulators
• The Forum
• MSCA reporting
• Joint enforcement projectsInspection targets and strategies
Penalties and prosecutions
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Session 2 – Inspections
Inspections may be initiated for a range of reasons and understanding the reasons helps provide focus for the preparation.
Triggers for inspection
Focus of inspections
• Regional and industrial sector variations
Non-regulatory inspections
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Session 3 – Key areas of interest to inspectors
Inspectors may look at any aspect of the regulation they choose, but the focus is likely to be driven by company activity, its track record and aspects most likely to impact on safe chemical use.
Working in groups, attendees are invited to think about how the role of the company and its activities will drive the focus of a possible inspection, and how the company should prepare.
Drawing on our experience helping companies with actual inspections, case studies will also be presented and discussed.
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Session 4 – Successful inspection
Good preparation is the key to a successful inspection and this starts with a commitment to compliance and an ability to demonstrate that commitment.
Attendees will gain the understanding and tools they need in order to:
- Implement a robust compliance policy
- Put together checklists to prepare for an inspection
- Gather documentation to support the inspection on the day.
