UK REACH Regulation (retained EU law)
What this means for your business
- Enforced by
- Mining Remediation Authority, National Highways, Natural England
- Applies to
- United Kingdom
- On this page
- 41 compliance obligations, 7 practical guides
What you must do
41 compliance obligations under this legislation — 3 can result in imprisonment.
Risk assessment 3
Assess chemical risks and prepare a Chemical Safety Report for downstream uses
If your business uses a chemical for a purpose that isn’t covered by the supplier’s Safety Data Sheet, you must carry out a risk assessment, develop exposure scenarios (including for any nano‑forms), and produce a Chemical Safety Report. You must also communicate the risk‑management measures to anyone further down the supply chain and update your own SDS where required.
Carry out chemical safety assessment and keep a safety report
If you register a chemical that you manufacture or import in amounts of 10 tonnes or more each year, you must assess its safety, write a chemical safety report, and put in place measures to reduce any risks. The report must be kept up‑to‑date and the risk‑reduction steps should be reflected in your safety data sheets.
Prepare a chemical safety assessment and report for substances you manufacture or import
If your business makes or brings into the UK any chemical covered by UK REACH, you must assess the risks of that substance – including all its nano‑forms and all the ways you intend to use it – and produce a chemical safety report. The assessment must be done by competent person(s) and must show how any risks are controlled for you and downstream users.
Management duties 8
Act as the sole UK representative for a non‑GB chemical manufacturer
If a non‑Great‑British chemical maker appoints your UK business as its only representative for imports, you must take on all the importer duties under UK REACH. This means you need the right knowledge of the substances, keep current records of how much you import, who you sell to, and always have the latest safety data sheets available.
Comply with downstream chemical safety and reporting duties
When you get a chemical registration number from your supplier (recorded on the safety data sheet), you must carry out the required safety assessment and put any risk‑reduction measures in place within 12 months, and you must send the required information to the regulator within 6 months.
Coordinate joint registration data for isolated intermediates
If your business manufactures or imports an on‑site or transported isolated intermediate in Great Britain and other firms are doing the same, you must work together to agree who will act as the lead registrant and submit the shared data. Each company must then submit the rest of the required information itself and pay the registration fee. You can submit the shared data yourself only if it would be disproportionately costly, commercially sensitive, or you disagree with the lead registrant, but you must provide a written explanation.
Give workers access to chemical safety information
As an employer you must let your staff and their representatives see the safety information you hold about any chemicals or mixtures they work with or could be exposed to. This means providing the documents required under Articles 31 and 32 (e.g., safety data sheets) in a form they can read and retrieve whenever needed.
Identify, control and record risks from chemicals you use
If your business receives chemicals (as a pure substance or in a mixture) you must tell your supplier what you will use them for, work with them to create an exposure scenario, and put in place any risk‑reduction measures they advise. You also need to keep a chemical safety report up to date and be ready to share it with regulators or downstream actors.
Maintain confidentiality of REACH information
If your business deals with chemicals covered by UK REACH, you must keep any confidential information about those substances – such as identity, safety data or commercial details – secret unless you have explicit permission to share it. Set up controls so only authorised staff can access the data and make sure everyone knows the rule. Breaching this duty can lead to criminal prosecution.
Provide and keep up‑to‑date safety data sheets for chemicals
When you supply a substance or mixture that is hazardous, or that contains certain dangerous components above set thresholds, you must give the recipient a safety data sheet (SDS) that meets the REACH format. The SDS must be free, in English, include all required sections, be consistent with any chemical safety assessment you have done, and be updated promptly whenever new hazard information, authorisations or restrictions arise.
Share existing data and pay cost when registering a substance
If you want to register a chemical that was already registered by another company within the past 12 years, you must ask the previous registrant for the required data, agree a fair cost share and pay it. The previous registrant must give you a cost estimate within a month, provide the data within two weeks of payment, and you must notify the Agency if an agreement cannot be reached.
Notifications 5
Notify Agency to claim PPORD registration exemption
If your business manufactures or imports a chemical in Great Britain solely for product‑or‑process research and development, you can avoid the normal registration requirement for five years. To do this you must first notify the UK Chemicals Agency with details of the substance, the amount, the R&D customers and pay the required fee. You may only start the activity two weeks after the Agency has received your notification and you must follow any conditions they impose.
Notify the Agency of any existing ECHA decisions on transferred GB registrations
If your company holds a GB chemical registration that was transferred from an EU registration, you must tell the UK Agency about any ECHA decisions that applied to that registration before Brexit was completed. You have 120 days after the IP‑completion day to send the notification, and you may have to supply copies of the ECHA decisions if the Agency asks.
Notify the Agency of changes and comment on draft decisions
If your business registers a chemical (as a manufacturer or importer) or uses a registered chemical, you must tell the Agency as soon as you stop making, importing or using it. You also have to respond to any draft decision the Agency sends you within 30 days, otherwise your registration can be put to zero and you may lose the right to be asked for more information.
Notify the Agency of substance use within 3 months
If your business uses a chemical substance that is covered by UK REACH and you are using it under the conditions set out in Article 56(2), you must send a notification to the UK REACH Agency. The notification must be made within three months of the first time you supply that substance. The Agency will keep a register of these notifications and share it with the appropriate authorities.
Notify the Secretary of State of existing EU authorisation applications
If your business applied for an EU chemical authorisation before the UK left the EU and the application was at the final decision stage on the transition date, you must tell the UK Secretary of State about it and send them all the relevant paperwork. This includes the full application, any supporting information and the final ECHA opinions.
Other requirements 3
Compile and keep compliant safety data sheets for supplied substances
If you supply any chemical substance or mixture, you must produce a safety data sheet (SDS) that meets the detailed Annex II format – clear language, correct hazard information, page numbering, dates and revisions, and no misleading statements. The SDS must be prepared by a trained competent person and kept up‑to‑date with any changes, with exposure scenarios added where a chemical safety report is required.
Label authorised substances with their authorisation number
If your business holds a REACH authorisation for a chemical, or you use a chemical that has been authorised, you must put the authorisation number on the product label before you sell or supply it. Do this as soon as the number is published publicly.
Pass on new hazard and safety‑data information up the supply chain
If your business supplies a chemical substance or mixture to another business, you must forward any new information about its hazardous properties, and any other data that might affect the safety measures shown on the safety data sheet, to the next supplier or distributor. Distributors must then pass that information on further up the chain.
Payments and fees 1
Share the cost of UK REACH safety tests
If the Agency orders a safety test for a chemical you register or use, you must try to agree with other registrants or downstream users who share responsibility for the test. You have 90 days to reach an agreement and tell the Agency who will do the test. If no agreement is reached, the Agency will pick a party to conduct the test, and everyone must pay an equal share and receive the full study report.
Record keeping 2
Keep chemical information for 10 years and provide on request
If your business manufactures, imports, uses downstream or distributes a chemical substance or mixture, you must gather all the safety and technical information you need to meet REACH duties and keep it for at least ten years after you stop dealing with that product. When the Agency or any authorised authority asks for it, you must hand the information over promptly.
Maintain required chemical information records
If your business was already required to keep chemical safety information under EU REACH before the UK exit (IP completion day), you must continue to keep that information under UK REACH after the exit day. The duty lasts only for the remainder of the original 10‑year retention period that started under EU REACH.
Registration and licensing 9
Keep your chemical registrations up to date
If your business registers chemicals under UK REACH, you must promptly inform the Agency of any relevant changes – such as your company details, the substance’s composition, the amount you make or import, new or discontinued uses, new hazard information, classification changes, safety‑data‑sheet updates, testing needs or changes to who can access the registration. You also need to submit the updated information, any required test proposals and pay the relevant fee, meeting any deadline set by the Agency.
Pre‑register phase‑in chemical substances
2 years imprisonmentIf your business manufactures or imports a chemical that has been listed as a REACH “phase‑in” substance, you must submit a pre‑registration to the regulator before the REACH deadline. This lets you continue to place the substance on the UK market once full registration opens.
Provide missing registration information by the Agency’s deadline
If the UK REACH Agency tells you your chemical substance registration is incomplete, you must send the requested additional information within the deadline they set. Failing to do so will mean your registration is rejected and any fee you paid will not be refunded.
Provide required information for REACH registration, including nanoforms
If your business manufactures or imports a chemical substance covered by UK REACH, you must submit a registration dossier that contains all the data required in Annexes VI‑XI. This includes detailed information on each form of the substance, especially any nano‑forms, and a justification of why the data you provide are enough for a safe assessment. Where possible you should share data with other registrants in a joint submission to avoid duplicate testing.
Register on‑site isolated intermediates with the Agency
If your business manufactures an on‑site isolated intermediate in quantities of 1 tonne or more each year, you must submit a registration to the UK REACH Agency. The registration must contain the substance’s identity, classification, any existing hazard data, a brief description of how it is used, the risk‑management measures you apply and the required fee. Failure to register can lead to enforcement action.
Register substances before manufacturing or selling them in GB
2 years imprisonmentIf your business makes, imports or sells any chemical substance, mixture or article in Great Britain, you must first register that substance with the UK REACH system whenever registration is required. You cannot legally manufacture or place the substance on the market until the registration is complete. This means checking the REACH list and completing the required registration before you start production or sales.
Register transported isolated intermediates with the Agency
If your business manufactures or imports a chemical intermediate that is shipped to other sites and you handle at least 1 tonne a year, you must submit a registration to the UK REACH Agency. The registration must contain identity, classification, any existing safety data, how the intermediate is used and risk‑management measures, and you must pay the required fee. If you handle more than 1 000 tonnes a year you also need to give the extra data set out in Annex VII.
Submit REACH registration data jointly with other registrants
If your company manufactures or imports a chemical that needs to be registered under UK REACH, you must work with any other registrants of that substance. One of you will act as the lead registrant and submit the shared data, while each of you submits the data that relates only to your own activities. You can choose to submit some other information together or separately, and you may submit separately if it is too costly, commercially sensitive or disputed – but you must explain why. A registration fee also has to be paid.
Submit required technical dossier for REACH registration
If you manufacture or import a chemical that falls under the UK REACH registration thresholds, you must provide a detailed technical dossier to the regulator. The dossier must contain information on the substance’s identity, uses, classification, safety guidance, study summaries, exposure data, any confidentiality requests and, where required, a chemical safety report. This ensures the UK government has the data needed to assess risks to human health and the environment.
Reporting and filing 10
Apply for and comply with chemical authorisations
2 years imprisonmentIf your business needs to use a chemical that falls under REACH and requires an authorisation, you must file an application with the Secretary of State. The application has to include a chemical safety report, risk‑management plan and any monitoring arrangements, and it must be submitted before you start using the substance. Failure to do so can trigger enforcement action with an unlimited fine or imprisonment.
Provide safety information on hazardous substances in articles
If you sell an article that contains a listed hazardous substance (an SVHC) at more than 0.1% by weight, you must give the next‑downstream recipient the name of that substance (and any other safety information you have) so they can use the product safely. If a consumer asks for this information, you must supply it for free within 45 days of the request.
Provide safety information to downstream recipients for chemicals without an SDS
If you supply a chemical substance or mixture and you are not required to give a safety data sheet, you must still pass on key safety information to your customers. This includes registration numbers, authorisation status, any restrictions and any other relevant risk‑management details, free of charge, at the first delivery and whenever the information changes.
Report chemical information to the Agency before using a registered substance
If your business uses a chemical that has been registered upstream, you must tell the UK chemicals regulator before you start or continue that use whenever you need to prepare a chemical safety report or are relying on certain REACH exemptions. You have to provide your details, the substance’s registration number, its identity, supplier information, a brief description of how you’ll use it and any proposed animal testing. Keep the information up‑to‑date and also notify the regulator if you classify the substance differently from your supplier.
Respond to draft authorisation opinion and provide comments
If you apply for a chemical substance authorisation, you must reply to the Agency’s draft opinion. You have one month to tell the Agency whether you will comment, and if you do you must send your written arguments within two months. The Agency will then issue a final opinion based on your response.
Submit required chemical data to the Agency based on tonnage
If you manufacture or import a chemical, you must provide physicochemical, toxicological and ecotoxicological data to the Agency. The amount of data you need to supply grows as the annual amount you handle rises – 1 t, 10 t, 100 t or 1 000 t per year. When you move into a higher tonnage band you must promptly tell the Agency which extra information you will now have to submit.
Submit required technical information for existing EU REACH authorisations
If your business holds a REACH authorisation that was granted before Brexit and you are based in Great Britain, you must send the Agency all the technical details that were part of the original application (and any other relevant material) within 60 days after the post‑IP completion date.
Submit required testing information to the Agency by the set deadline
If the UK REACH Agency decides that you must carry out a test on a chemical you register or use, you must perform the test (or any additional tests it requires) and send the study summary (or robust study summary) to the Agency by the deadline it sets. Failing to do so can lead to enforcement action.
Submit your Article 7(2) notification details within 60 days after IP completion
If your business (as a producer or importer of articles in Great Britain) notified ECHA about a substance under Article 7(2) before the UK’s IP completion day, and you are not the registered holder for that substance, you must send the same information to the UK Agency within 60 days after that date.
Use Agency‑provided formats and software for REACH submissions
If your business manufactures, imports, distributes or uses chemicals, you must send any REACH information to the UK REACH Agency using the free templates and software the Agency puts on its website. You cannot use your own formats – the technical dossier must be in IUCLID and all other submissions must follow the Agency‑provided files.
Penalties for non-compliance
3 penalties under this legislation. 3 can result in imprisonment. 3 carry an unlimited fine.
Pre‑register phase‑in chemical substances
Unlimited fine and/or 2 years imprisonment
Register substances before manufacturing or selling them in GB
Unlimited fine and/or 2 years imprisonment
Apply for and comply with chemical authorisations
Unlimited fine and/or 2 years imprisonment
Practical guidance
Our guides explain how to comply with the requirements above.
Sector-Specific 7
Manage hazardous construction materials
How to comply with COSHH 2002 when working with cement, silica dust, solvents, lead paint, and wood dust …
Vehicle Maintenance and MOT
Understand vehicle maintenance standards and MOT requirements for goods vehicles.
UK REACH Chemical Compliance
Understand and comply with UK REACH chemical registration requirements for manufacturers and importers.
UK sanctions compliance for businesses
How to comply with UK financial sanctions. Includes OFSI enforcement powers, asset freeze requirements, screening obligations, breach reporting, …
Anti-money laundering (AML) compliance
Essential guide to AML compliance for UK businesses under the Money Laundering Regulations 2017.
DVSA Enforcement and Your Operator Compliance Risk Score
Understand how DVSA uses the Operator Compliance Risk Score to target enforcement, what Green, Amber and Red ratings …
Facing a Traffic Commissioner Public Inquiry
What triggers a Traffic Commissioner public inquiry, how to prepare your case, whether you need legal representation, what …
Sections and provisions
182 classified provisions from this legislation.
Duties 67
- s.5 No data, no market
- s.8 Only representative of a non-Great British manufacturer
- s.9 Exemption from the general obligation to register for product and process orientated research and development (PPORD) indication
- s.10 Information to be submitted for general registration purposes
- s.11 Joint submission of data by multiple registrants registrant
- s.12 Information to be submitted depending on tonnage
- s.14 Chemical safety report and duty to apply and recommend risk reduction measures
- s.17 Registration of on-site isolated intermediates
- s.18 Registration of transported isolated intermediates
- s.19 Joint submission of data on isolated intermediates by multiple registrants registrant
- s.20 Duties of the Agency registration in order
- s.22 Further duties of registrants The Agency
- s.27 Sharing of existing data in the case of registered substances effort
- s.28 Duty to pre-register for phase-in substances
- s.31 Requirements for safety data sheets
- s.32 Duty to communicate information down the supply chain for substances on their own or in mixtures for which a safety data sheet is not required
- s.33 Duty to communicate information on substances in articles
- s.34 Duty to communicate information on substances and mixtures up the supply chain
- s.35 Access to information for workers
- s.36 Obligation to keep information
- ... and 47 more duties
Powers 18
- s.4 General provision
- s.21 Manufacturing and import of substances
- s.41 Compliance check of registrations
- s.46 Requests for further information and check of information submitted
- s.61 Review of authorisations
- s.73 Restriction decisions
- s.74 Fees and charges
- s.93 Change of decision where appeal made
- s.120 Cooperation with other countries and international organisations
- s.129 Safeguard clause
- s.131 Amendments to the Annexes
- s.132 Implementing legislation
- s.138 Review
- Authorisations and qualifying Northern Ireland goo Authorisations and qualifying Northern Ireland goods
- Import from Northern Ireland where Article 127E ap Import from Northern Ireland where Article 127E applies
- Notification by Northern Irish supplier where Arti Notification by Northern Irish supplier where Article 139A applies
- Regulations under this Regulation Regulations under this Regulation
- The Agency The Agency
Definitions 8
- s.3 Definitions
- s.15 Substances in plant protection and biocidal products approvals register unacceptable co-formulants register constituent territory
- s.57 Substances to be included in Annex XIV
- s.118 Access to information
- CRITERIA FOR SUBSTANCES REGISTERED IN QUANTITIES B CRITERIA FOR SUBSTANCES REGISTERED IN QUANTITIES BETWEEN 1 AND 10 TONNES
- Interpretation of Articles 127A to 127C Interpretation of Articles 127A to 127C Article 10 information existing EU registration GB registration
- Post-IP completion periods used in this Title Post-IP completion periods used in this Title 60 day post-IP completion period 90 day post-IP completion period 120 day post-IP completion period
- Pre-IP completion downstream users and distributor Pre-IP completion downstream users and distributors that are to continue to be regarded as downstream users existing GB distributor under EU REACH existing GB downstream user under EU REACH relevant supplier
Exemptions 19
- s.2 Application
- s.6 General obligation to register substances on their own or in mixtures
- s.7 Registration and notification of substances in articles
- s.16 Duties of ... registrants of substances regarded as being registered
- s.26 Duty to inquire prior to registration
- s.49 Further information on on-site isolated intermediates
- s.56 General provisions
- s.58 Inclusion of substances in Annex XIV
- s.67 General provisions
- s.68 Introducing new and amending current restrictions
- Application of this Regulation to transferred GB r Application of this Regulation to transferred GB registrations
- EXEMPTIONS FROM THE OBLIGATION TO REGISTER IN ACCO EXEMPTIONS FROM THE OBLIGATION TO REGISTER IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE 2(7)(b)
- Existing Article 17 registrations Existing Article 17 registrations
- Existing Article 18 registrations Existing Article 18 registrations
- Existing Article 9 exemptions Existing Article 9 exemptions
- Existing authorised downstream users under EU law Existing authorised downstream users under EU law
- Protected NI imports Protected NI imports
- RESTRICTIONS ON THE MANUFACTURE, PLACING ON THE MA RESTRICTIONS ON THE MANUFACTURE, PLACING ON THE MARKET AND USE OF CERTAIN DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES, MIXTURES AND ARTICLES
- STANDARD INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS FOR SUBSTANCES M STANDARD INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS FOR SUBSTANCES MANUFACTURED OR IMPORTED IN QUANTITIES OF 100 TONNES OR MORE