Chemical management professionals are seeking out more resources to stay compliant, amid a raft of new regulatory requirements.
According to a report from Enhesa – which provides regulatory and sustainability intelligence worldwide – a combination of constantly changing global regulatory frameworks and a growing pressure to meet these demands is forcing companies to seek specialised help navigating the complexities.
The new report, which is part of the Global Service Providers Guide 2024: The Guide to Global Chemicals Management and Control Services, is based on a survey of more than 500 global chemical management professionals, including those in general manufacturing, chemicals and life sciences, and regulatory affairs.
Key findings include:
EU REACH still dominates regulatory workload: The European Union’s Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation continues to dominate day-to-day work for chemical management teams.
The number of professionals citing “any aspect of REACH” as a key driver of activity was 82%. That number, though, reflects a significant drop from 93% a year ago.
Respondents also reference the EU’s chemicals strategy for sustainability (CSS) as another key regulatory driver, accounting for 45% of responses this time, a drop of six percentage points from 2023.
Getting in Line with the EPA: As the United States’ Environment Protection Agency (EPA) focuses on finalizing rules for the first 10 high-priority chemical under the Toxic Substances Control Act, US regulation is the second most important driver survey respondents’ workloads, selected by 58% of respondents (up from 56% in 2023). California’s Proposition 65 law, which will put a greater focus on polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is cited by 33% of respondents as a key driver of new work.
Supply chain demands lead non-regulatory challenges: When asked which non-compliance factor is driving the bulk of companies’ time and resources, 63% said supply chain demands, followed by consumer concerns regarding products and services (51%).
Executives need help on Information Services: Three-quarters (76%) of respondents said they need more help with their information services to support their chemicals management work over the next 12 months – up from 72% last year.
Regulations create a bigger need for resources and services: Over half (54%) of respondents say there will be an increased need for a change in in-house staff over the next five years to keep up with the new chemical regulatory and management environment. Two-thirds (62%) say that they anticipate an increased need in external services over the next five years.
Peter Schramme, CEO of Enhesa, said, “A perfect storm of economic volatility, rapidly evolving regulations, and a strain in organization resources has conspired to dominate the focus of many chemical management professionals.
“As more regulatory bodies take a hard stance on the use, handling, and proper disposal of chemicals, companies will have no choice but to ensure they are compliant along every link of their supply chain.
“That’s no easy task, which is why businesses need to find ways of staying vigilant about new legislation and find the right partners to help them with that challenge.”
Read the full report here.
