02 Jul 2015

Manchester, UK - Intertek , a leading provider of quality services to industries worldwide, announced today that South Korea’s Ministries of Environment (MoE) and of Justice (MoJ) will offer a leniency period for companies notifying new substances under the Act on the Registration and Evaluation of Chemicals (K-REACH).

Manufacturers or importers that handle new chemicals in volumes above 0.1 tonne/year are required to complete a hazard assessment and notify the relevant authorities prior to import or manufacture. The leniency periods for notification of the new substances will run from May 22nd to November 21st, 2015 (6 months). Under Article 57-63 of the Toxic Chemicals Control Act (TCCA), if companies fail to comply with the regulations they could be facing substantial fines or imprisonment. This includes all companies that failed to register a new substance and complete a hazard assessment under the previous TCCA, before the law was replaced by K-REACH and the Chemicals Control Act (CCA), on January 1st, 2015. During this period, these companies now have the option to “voluntarily” report substances under K-REACH and penalties will be waived.

“Intertek recognizes that keeping track of and complying with new regulations presents a challenge for chemical producers, manufacturers, formulators, and their customers,” states Jeremy Ramsden, regulatory expert within Intertek Life Sciences. “Combining our extensive understanding of K-REACH and our experience with other global chemicals management regulations, Intertek is committed to helping its customers understand and meet compliance obligations worldwide.”

Over the last six months, Intertek has gained key practical experience with the preparation & submission of registrations, the role of an Only Representative according to K-REACH and the associated Industrial Safety & Health Act (ISHA), and this has revealed the realities of theory versus practise. On July 8th, 2015, Intertek will be delivering a free webinar to share the experiences gathered during the first half of the K-REACH enforcement year for those intending to import "new" substances and polymers into South Korea.

To register for the webinar, please visit: www.intertek.com/reach/testing/k-reach-isha-webinar/

To learn more about the regulatory services offered by our scientific and regulatory consultants and from the larger Intertek organization, please visit: www.intertek.com/reach/.

Contacts:

For Market Inquiries:

Jeremy Ramsden
Head Regulatory Services, UK Intertek Life Sciences
Tel.:+ +44 (0) 161 245 8071
Email: jeremy.ramsden@intertek.com  

For Media Inquiries:

Tracy Veale
Marketing Manager, Global Health, Environmental & Regulatory Services
Intertek Life Sciences
Tel: +1 905-286-4182
Email: tracy.veale@intertek.com

About Intertek

Intertek is a leading quality solutions provider to industries worldwide. From auditing and inspection, to testing, training, advisory, quality assurance and certification, Intertek adds value for its customers by helping improve the quality and safety of their products, assets and processes. With a network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices and over 38,000 people in more than 100 countries, Intertek supports companies’ success in the global marketplace, by helping customers to meet end users’ expectations for safety, sustainability, performance, integrity and desirability in virtually any market worldwide. Visit www.intertek.com.