The importance of managing chemicals effectively throughout the supply chain with the ever-changing regulations, including Europe’s REACH initiative, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) and California’s Proposition 65, poses a growing challenge to the global footwear industry.
There is a need to understand the scope and sources of chemicals, why they are restricted and have a detailed appreciation of regulatory and legislation aspects relating to jurisdiction. This is often extremely difficult for brands and retailers selling product in a range of countries, often with very different product safety laws. In the US, it is important to consider not only federal law but also state law which in some cases is pre-emptive.
Managing restricted substance compliance for a business is complicated and can be costly often demanding dedicated resource or outsourced specialist services.
BLC and the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA) have recently revised and updated the joint guidance document aimed at restricted substance management to help companies understand which chemicals are most likely to be present in footwear currently being produced. The document now includes nickel.
The guidance document is a reference tool for the management of chemicals within materials and finished product and will allow companies to make informed decisions based on risk of materials.
The document is structured into risk categories with tier 1 focussing on chemicals that are currently legislated within the US, and Tiers 2 and 3 substances which are currently legislated outside the US and likely to be the focus of scrutiny in the near future.
The three tiers provide a common sense approach to managing chemical compliance allowing companies to manage risk and position themselves to become future proof.
For further information on how this tool can be accessed and for help with all of your chemical testing needs contact info@blcleathertech.com.
This document is exclusive to BLC and FDRA members.
BLC members receive 30% discount on all testing and problem solving.
