opesus Blog

The partnership between opesus and Yordas allows businesses to manage compliance requirements by integrating Yordas' Hive platform, a chemical risk management tool with SAP product compliance applications via opesus Product Compliance Collaboration (PCC), a centralized hub designed to support collaboration with suppliers, service providers, customers, and authorities.

Our experience working with customers from various industries shows that there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to exchanging compliance information internally, with service providers, or within the supply chain. And yet, there is a universal need and wish for a structured yet adaptable approach that supports and complements the single source of truth. Especially if you consider the increasing complexity of regulations. This is exactly what our new solution, opesus Product Compliance Collaboration (PCC), aims to do – orchestrate the different channels and data sources in an efficient and auditable way.

Something's brewing - opesus has a new solution in the works and we can't wait to share it with you!

We caught up with Matt Dion, Product Owner of the new solution to share with us more about the new solution that is designed for collaboration in the world of product compliance.

Having companies submit notifications to the ECHA SCIP database about articles that contain substances of very high concern (SVHC) fulfills one part of the overall goal of the Waste Framework Directive. Through the collection of data via the SCIP database, authorities can monitor the use of SVHCs and take appropriate measures if they wish. In addition to that, the information provided to the SCIP database will be publicly accessible through the SCIP dissemination platform.

It’s been slightly more than a year since the UK left the EU on 31^st January 2020. The 11-month transition period ended on 31^st December 2020. What does this mean for companies moving their goods between the EU and the UK? This article explores Brexit and the SCIP Database.

In the context of the revised Waste Framework Directive (WFD), the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) was tasked to create a database of substances of concern in articles as such or in complex objects or products (SCIP database). The SCIP database was established to improve transparency on hazardous substances in articles. 

In Switzerland, the ordinance on protection against dangerous substances and preparations (ChemO) regulates the placing of substances and preparations on the market. The ChemO is largely similar to the European REACH and CLP regulations except when it comes to the part of registering substances.

The SCIP database requirements pose a challenge not just to companies in the EU, but also non-EU companies whose customers are in the EU. Companies not located in the EU are faced with requirements from EU customers as they face new regulations related to increased environmental pressure, such as the Waste Framework Directive. Hence, non-EU companies should understand the goals of the SCIP database and comply with its obligations. 

Twice a year, the Candidate List of substances of very high concern (SVHC) is updated. The most recent update occurred on 19 January 2021. This brings the number of SVHCs to 211. However, when these unique substances are further broken down, the actual number of reportable substances including their substance groups is closer to 400.

The SCIP database is developed under the Waste Framework Directive (WFD) to take a step towards a circular economy. With the SCIP database, the product lifecycle is completed with information on substances of concern in articles. One of the things that are a hot topic of discussion is the dissemination of information and protecting confidential business information (CBI).

If you’re placing mixtures on the market only for industrial use, limited submission to the poison centre notification sounds very appealing. You fulfil your notification obligation while providing only minimal data about your mixture. Sounds like a win, right?

Well, take a closer look.

The goal of the CLP Art. 45 Annex VIII regulation is to harmonize mixture information for emergency health response. It was only a matter of time that the EU takes steps to standardize information for poison centres. As people can move freely within the EU, so can products. Especially for those who live close to national borders, it’s not unthinkable that you do your shopping in a country different from your place of residence.

The unique formula identifier (UFI) is the unambiguous identifier of products classified for health or physical hazards. From 1^st January 2021, this 16-character code must appear on or in proximity to product labels.

The UFI will be used by poison centres in the event of an emergency call. Therefore, upon submitting a notification to the ECHA Submission Portal, only poison centres will know which mixture composition the UFI corresponds to. Our FAQ on UFI covers questions and answers about UFIs, including how you can generate a UFI.

It is common knowledge now that the data requirements for submitting a dossier in the poison centre notification (PCN) format is extensive. Besides the new data points such as the UFI and EU Product Category, the PCN format requires full composition of the product and other data such as pH value and hazard classification.

ECHA held a Webinar on 12^th February covering topics surrounding creating notifications to the poison centres in accordance with CLP Art. 45, Annex VIII.  The webinar consisted of two parts – regulatory updates and IT tools and guidance. The previous blog post focused on changes in the first amendment to CLP Annex VIII. In this blog post, we will focus on regulatory updates that we can expect in the second amendment of Annex VIII to CLP.

ECHA held a webinar on 12^th February covering topics surrounding creating notifications to the poison centres in accordance with CLP Art. 45, Annex VIII. The webinar consisted of two parts – regulatory updates and IT tools and guidance. In this blog post, we will focus on regulatory updates as per the first amendment of Annex VIII to CLP. The first amendment, published on 10^th January 2020, has been in force since 30 January 2020. The second blog post focuses on changes we can expect in the second amendment.

Under the Waste Framework Directive (WFD), the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has developed the SCIP Database designed to capture information on articles containing substances of very high concern (SVHCs) on the REACH Candidate List. This requirement of submitting information poses a significant challenge to companies to efficiently comply with their reporting obligations. We are excited to announce that our software, opesus EHS Product Notification, will support companies that are required to submit notifications to the SCIP database.