Any Legal or physical person established in European Economic Area (EEA) who manufactures or imports a phase-in substance covered by REACH, either on its own or in a preparation or article, in quantities of one ton or more per year, shall submit a registration file to the European chemical agency.

1. REACH pre-registration duties

   All phase-in substances currently in use in the EEA must have been pre-registered by each manufacturer and importer between 1 June 2008 and 30 November 2008.
   Failure to pre-register means that you are no longer able to manufacture, import or supply in the EEA a substance without a full registration. Before full registration, manufacturer or importer shall make an inquiry.

2. REACH registration:
   • First registration deadline: 30 November 2010

   All phase-in substances above 1000 tons, substances of very high concern above 1 ton and substances dangerous for the environment above 100 tons shall be REACH registered.

   The registrants shall provide physicochemical, toxicological and eco-toxicological information, according to the tonnage manufactured or imported, and shall integrate this information into a chemical safety report for all substances subject to registration in quantities of 10 tons or more per year.

   Suppliers based outside EEA shall appoint an only representative in the EEA to register.

   In the registration dossier, suppliers have to include references to ArcelorMittal's uses of each purchased substance. Therefore, this type of requests has to be sent to rip.reach@arcelormittal.com; contact ArcelorMittal for further information.

   • Next registration deadlines

   Phase-in substances above 100 tons shall be registered end of May 2013

   Phase-in substances above 1 ton shall be registered end of May 2018

   • Substances in articles

   From the date of inclusion: EEA suppliers of articles which contain substances on the REACH candidate list in a concentration above 0.1% (w/w) have to provide sufficient information to allow safe use of the article to their customers or upon request, to a consumer within 45 days of the receipt of the request. This information must contain as a minimum the name of the substance.
   From June 2011: Notification of substance of the REACH candidate list contained in articles > 0.1% (w/w). The notification process shall be done 6 months after each update of the REACH candidate list

3. CLP notification deadline: 3 January 2011

   All substances which are not REACH registered (for example: exempted substances under REACH, substances under 1000 tons) are subject to CLP notification. The notification is independent of the tonnage band.

   ArcelorMittal wants to be sure that the substances needed for the production of its products will continue to be available - the last thing wanted is for any link in the supply chain to break.

To check the Reach and GHS/CLP compliance, ArcelorMittal requests from its suppliers to fill in the following questionnaires and to send required information to rip.reach@arcelormittal.com:

- Reach and GHS/CLP questionnaire for substances and mixtures
- Reach and GHS/CLP questionnaire for articles

According to the guidance on requirements for substances in articles, rolled steels (wire rods, steel cord, rebar’s, hot rolled coils etc.) and thus coated steels are articles.

1. ArcelorMittal as downstream user
   • Checks that substances on their own or in mixtures are REACH registered or CLP notified
   • Checks presence of substances of the REACH candidate list on their own,  in mixtures or in articles
2. ArcelorMittal as manufacturer/importer of substances, mixtures and articles
   • Registered or will register manufactured (for instance some iron and steel by-products) or imported (for instance ferro-alloys and other raw materials) substances,
   • CLP notified non registered substances
   • Will notify any substances of the REACH candidate list contained in articles, according to REACH requirements.
   • Informs customers on the presence of a substance of the reach candidate list above 0.1% in articles
   • Carries constantly out a purchasing risk assessment, in order to make sure that the consequences of REACH for our upstream supply chain will remain under control.

Developed a web tool to:

- download safety data sheets for manufactured substances and mixtures
- download safety data sheets type documents for articles

The safety data sheets web tool is available through the Partner Centre
The procedure to get access to this web tool is described here

ArcelorMittal shall include information about the safe use of substances. To do that, ArcelorMittal needs feedback from its customers about the way(s) they use substances manufactured by ArcelorMittal in order to include them in the chemical safety reports (CSR).

• Customers can send information to rip.reach@arcelormittal.com
• This information, aimed at customers, will be included in the safety data sheets.
• For any further information, please contact us at: rip.reach@arcelormittal.com

United Nations globally harmonized system of classification & labelling of chemicals (GHS):

Heads of the state at the 1992 Rio summit called for the development of a globally harmonized system (GHS) for the classification & labelling of chemicals and writing of safety data sheets (SDS), including appropriate training and capacity building.

The GHS was adopted by the UN economic and social council subcommittee in December 2002 and endorsed by the UN committee on the transport of dangerous goods and the GHS.

The GHS addresses classification of chemicals by types of hazard and proposes harmonized hazard communication elements, including labels and safety data sheets.

It aims at ensuring that information on physical hazards and toxicity from chemicals to be available in order to enhance the protection of human health and the environment during handling, transport and use of these chemicals. The GHS also provides a basis for harmonization of rules and regulations on chemicals at national, regional and worldwide level, an important factor also for trade facilitation.

The first edition of the GHS, which was intended to serve as the initial basis for the global implementation of the system, was published in 2003. The second revised edition of the GHS will be published in 2007.

While governments, regional institutions and international organizations are the primary audiences for the GHS, it also contains sufficient context and guidance for those in industry who will ultimately be implementing the requirements which have been adopted.

The plan of Implementation of the world summit on sustainable development, adopted in Johannesburg in 2002, encourages countries to implement the GHS as soon as possible  
To be up to date on the GHS worldwide implementation, visit: www.unece.org