Get REACH Compliant with EMARS

What’s in your product? When it comes to REACH, the European Union's new chemicals law, this question is more important than ever.

REACH targets hazardous substances in products – so-called called substances of very high concern (SVHCs). If your products contain SVHCs, then you may have immediate legal obligations under REACH. Longer term, the viability of your products may be threatened if they contain SVHCs.

Learn how to prepare your products for REACH by reading our REACH Guide.



SVHC Groupings

REACH SVHCs - What you need to know

On October 28th, 2008, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) published the first Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs). This list of 15 hazardous substances is expected to grow to 1,000 or more substances in the years ahead.

Under Article 33 of the REACH regulation, manufacturers whose products contain SVHCs must inform their customers. Companies must respond to consumer inquiries about SVHCs within 45 days.

One of the goals of REACH is to encourage manufacturers to remove these SVHCs from their products or replace them with safer alternatives. SVHCs will ultimately be restricted and will have “sunset” dates.

The role of non-government organizations (NGOs)

On September 17, 2008, ChemSec published the Substitute It Now! List (also known as the REACH SIN List 1.0 Database). The list contains more than 200 high priority SVHCs that “should be phased out without delay.” This list is expected to grow over time.

One of the stated goals of ChemSec and its NGO advisory board is to “fast-track the most urgent SVHCs.” The SIN list itself may become a de facto blacklist.

Tracking SVHCs in products – a bookkeeping nightmare

Manufacturers need to track the presence, concentration, and weight of SVHCs in their products to determine their REACH obligations. Obligations include informing customers as described in Article 33 of REACH.

Manufacturers also need to track SVHCs in their products because SVHCs pose a business risk. A blacklist effect is expected to make these substances more costly and difficult or impossible to procure. SVHCs may cause supply chain disruptions.

But tracking SVHCs and hundreds of suspected SVHCs is a bookkeeping nightmare. Why?

First, the list of SVHCs is dynamic and difficult to define:

  • The candidate list of SVHCs will grow over time
  • A de facto blacklist of SVHCs will emerge, driven by factors such as the Substitute It Now! List
  • Manufacturers will develop their own pro-active lists of SVHCs and force their suppliers to comply

Second, products themselves are complex and constantly changing

  • Products can consist of hundreds or thousands of chemical substances
  • Products, parts, and materials can change, and this can substantially impact their chemical content.
  • Traditional product information systems do not track this substance information

If you have many products or your products are complex, tracking SVHCs manually with spreadsheets and homegrown databases is slow, costly, and error prone.

The EMARS advantage

Synapsis Technology's EMARS software will help your company cost effectively track current and future SVHCs in your products.

EMARS REACH SVHC functionality enables users to:

  • Grade product bills of material against the REACH SVHC Candidate List. EMARS users can identify the presence, concentration, and weights of these substances in their products in minutes.
  • Grade product bills of material against the Synapsis Technology’s SuspectSVHC™ list. This list contains over 1,000 substances that meet the SVHC criteria and may be targeted in the future. EMARS users can identify the presence, concentration, and weights of these substances in their products in minutes.
  • Stay up to date with the latest REACH SVHCs. EMARS users receive automatic updates as the number of identified and suspected SVHCs increases over time.
  • Identify and track any unofficial or rumored SVHCs in products. EMARS users can build custom lists of substances of concern, which they can update and manage on an ad hoc basis.
  • Build and maintain an SVHC audit trail that provides evidence of compliance and due diligence for authorities and customers.

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