Practical Guide on Safe Use Information for Mixtures under REACH

The Lead Component Identification (LCID) Methodology

The safe use of chemicals is one of the main objectives of REACH.

Chemical safety assessments (CSA) of substances are the main source of this information.

In a CSA the entire life cycle of a substance must be evaluated. In many cases substances are used in mixtures during their life cycle.

Therefore these uses have to be included in the CSA. But uses of substances in mixtures often imply changes in the conditions of use.

These changes may be relevant to the operational conditions (OCs) and risk management measures (RMMs) derived for such uses.

Most chemical products are mixtures, which are usually formulated or produced directly in order to change certain properties and effects of substances or to achieve specific effects of the product.

Mixtures may be formulated from substances or other mixtures but they are often a result of a production process (e.g., if a substance is manufactured in a solution).

The following sections address tasks and obligations of the different actors who handle such mixtures.

CEFIC 2016