Distributors

What if I am a distributor of chemicals?

In accordance with the REACH Regulation, a distributor is any natural or legal person established with the Community, including a retailer, who only stores and places on the market a substance, on its own or in a preparation, for third parties. Under REACH, as an 'actor' in the supply chain, a distributor of substances within Ireland has an obligation to communicate relevant information on the substance through the supply chain.

A distributor will have a duty to communicate information up and down the supply chain. Distributors of substances have a duty to pass relevant information up the supply chain to their supplier(s). This information will include all known uses of the substance including uses identified by their customers or downstream users. This information should be communicated to the supplier to assist him in preparing his chemical safety report (CSR) as required for > 10 tonnes per year, as part of his registration requirements.

Additional information, which may need to be supplied, will include any potential hazards associated with the identified uses of the substance, any new information on the hazardous properties, information regarding the appropriate identified risk management measures or any other relevant information. Distributors also have a duty to pass relevant information on a substance down the supply chain to customers or downstream users.

The information to be passed down the supply chain will include the Safety Data Sheet (SDS), information relating to the various exposure scenarios which have been provided by the supplier, new information on the hazardous properties of the substance or any other relevant information. Title IV of the REACH Regulation outlines the duties regarding information in the supply chain.