Birmingham, UK – Westminster government moves to overhaul chemicals safety regulations in the UK could severely impact the competitiveness of the country’s chemicals industry.
The warning was delivered by Mike Lancaster, head of innovation and events for the Chemical Industries Association (CIA), ahead of a keynote speech at the recent CHEMUK show in Birmingham.
Having to duplicate work to build a UK database, he said, would set the chemical industry back by almost a decade at a time of increasing global competition and limited resources.
Speaking to Laboratory News – and associate publication of ERJ – Lancaster also suggested that in the worst-case scenario it was likely that certain small-volume and low-profit-margin chemicals would no longer be marketed in the UK.
“For the UK chemical industry and supply-chain to grow and become more competitive it is vital that pragmatic implementation of UK REACH is achieved,” the CIA official emphasised.
However, he said one benefit for research and technology organisations was that the final version of UK Reach – estimated by government to cost £1.3-£3.5 billion to implement – would involve testing of chemicals.
“Whatever the final version, some testing of chemicals prior to registration is likely to be required, this will be good news for RTO organisations and laboratory testing houses,” commented Lancaster.
But he added: “In the longer run UK REACH] may not therefore be good news for suppliers to the sector including RTOs and testing houses.”