UK REACH Chemical Compliance

Guide summary

If you make or import 1 tonne or more a year of a chemical in Great Britain, you must register it with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Fees start at £57 (micro business) and go up to £2,222 (large company). Deadlines for transferring your EU registration depend on how much you make or import – the earliest proposed deadline is 27 October 2029.

Register chemicals with HSE if you make or import 1 tonne or more per year
Check grandfathering deadlines: 27 Oct 2029, 2030 or 2031 (subject to 2026 law)
Pay registration fee: £2,222 (large), £740 (medium), £399 (small), £57 (micro)
Create a REACH IT account on the HSE website to submit your dossier
Share chemical data with other companies if you register the same substance
Update safety data sheets with your UK REACH number before selling
Report your actual tonnage each year – late reporting can mean unlimited fines
Failing to register can lead to fines up to £20,000 or prison

UK REACH regulates the manufacture, import, and use of chemicals in Great Britain. If you manufacture or import 1 tonne or more per year of a chemical substance, you must register it with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Step-by-step process for registering chemical substances with HSE

Step 1: Determine your role: Identify if you are a manufacturer, importer or downstream user of chemical substances in GB.
Step 2: Calculate annual tonnage: Determine annual tonnage per substance (1T, 10T, 100T, or 1000+T per year thresholds).
Step 3: Check grandfathering status: If registered under EU REACH before Brexit, check your deadline - 27 Oct 2029 (highest priority substances), 27 Oct 2030 (≥100 t/yr), or 27 Oct 2031 (all remaining). Subject to legislation being enacted.
Step 4: Create REACH IT account: Register on HSE UK REACH IT portal at hse.gov.uk/reach.
Step 5: Prepare registration dossier: Compile substance identity (IUPAC, CAS number), tonnage data, classification and labelling, safe use information, technical data.
Step 6: Submit registration and pay fee: Submit dossier via REACH IT and pay fee. From 1 April 2025 a flat rate of £2,222 applies to all tonnage bands for large companies; SME discounts bring this to £740/£399/£57 for medium/small/micro (~67%/82%/97% off).
Step 7: Receive registration number: HSE assesses dossier and issues registration number if approved.
Step 8: Update safety data sheets: Add UK REACH registration number to SDS Section 1.1 before supplying to customers.
Step 9: Submit annual tonnage updates: Report actual tonnages manufactured or imported each year.

Penalties for UK REACH Non-Compliance

Enforcement penalties for breaching UK REACH

Manufacturing/importing unregistered substance: Unlimited fine
Failing to provide safety data sheet: Unlimited fine
Providing false information: Unlimited fine + up to 2 years imprisonment
Obstruction of enforcement: Fine up to £5,000
Enforcing authority: Health and Safety Executive (HSE)

Safety Data Sheet (SDS) Requirements

Requirements for creating and providing safety data sheets

Safety Data Sheets (SDS) must be provided for hazardous substances and mixtures. The SDS must follow the 16-section format specified in UK REACH Annex II.

Format: 16 sections as per UK REACH Annex II
Language: English for UK supply
Updates required: When new information becomes available
Retention period: 10 years after last supply
Must include: Hazard identification, composition, first aid, firefighting, handling, exposure controls, physical/chemical properties, stability, toxicology, ecology, disposal, transport, regulatory, other information

UK REACH vs EU REACH

UK REACH is separate from EU REACH following Brexit. Businesses must register separately with HSE for the GB market. Substances already registered under EU REACH need separate UK registration ('grandfathering' has transitional deadlines).

Legal basis

Primary legislation and key regulations

Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 Primary 1974 · UK-wide REACH (Amendment ) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 SI 2019 · UK-wide The REACH Fees and Charges (Amendment) Regulations 2025 SI 2025 · UK-wide General Product Safety Regulations 2005 SI 2005 · UK-wide UK REACH Regulation (retained EU law) EU Retained 2006 · UK-wide

Browse UK legislation legislation.gov.uk

Official guidance

DUIN notifications for downstream users and distributors - HSE (opens in a new tab)

HSE

Downstream user obligations - HSE (opens in a new tab)

HSE

HSE enforcement guide (opens in a new tab)

HSE

SVHCs overview - HSE (opens in a new tab)

HSE

UK REACH (opens in a new tab)

HSE

UK REACH Candidate List of SVHCs - HSE (opens in a new tab)

HSE

UK REACH Chemical Compliance

UK REACH vs EU REACH

Legal basis

Official guidance

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