One of the key topics sure to set the stage alight at SAPPHIRE events in Orlando and Countdown to SAPPHIRE (May 2008 - Orlando and Berlin) this year is REACH. Indicative of the growing legislative and regulatory challenges facing the chemical industry in recent months, the European Commission (EC) directives covering registration, evaluation, and authorization of chemicals (REACH) constitute an extensive reform of European chemicals policy.
Originally drafted in 2001, REACH regulations shift the burden for proving the safety of chemical substances, products, and consumer use of those substances and products to the businesses that manufacture and import them. While REACH targets primarily the chemical sector, these regulations extend to 30,000 chemical substances. Therefore, industries like pharmaceuticals, consumer products, oil and gas, and other industries that make substantial use of chemicals will be strongly impacted in their manufacturing processes.
Responding to the immense challenges posed by such legislation, SAP quickly leveraged the resources available through its industry-focused ecosystem partners, by joining forces with Technidata, a key partner in the Industry Value Network (IVN) community for chemicals, to co-develop a software solution called REACH Compliance.
SAP REACH Compliance 1.0 is set for general availability in mid-2008 and has already been released to a number of customers who have come on board for early adoption of the application.
Based on the SAP Environment, Health & Safety (SAP EH&S) application, SAP REACH Compliance tracks regulated substances through the production, purchasing, and sales processes. It shows which materials and products use a specific chemical substance and in what quantity. The application aims to provide a reliable and cost-effective means of implementing REACH requirements for all affected industries.
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