Exposure scenario

Exposure scenario (English exposure scenario ) is a term from the hazardous substances. It is the documentation first, the procedures that are associated with the production, processing and use of a substance, and secondly it, in what way and to what extent by people and the environment come into contact with the substance.

Exposure scenarios in European chemicals legislation of great importance and regulated by Regulation ( EC) No 1907 /2006 ( REACh, EU chemicals regulation ). They are a core element of the chemical safety assessment and therefore the prescribed registration of hazardous substances that are sold in quantities of more than ten tons per year by a manufacturer or importer. Exposure scenarios must be of the manufacturer or importer ( natural or legal person established within the EU who is responsible for import ) created by materials and summarized in an annex to the safety data sheet.

An exposure scenario is then duty

  • If at least 10 tonnes per year imported from the substance or be produced, because they fall under the registration requirement; beyond
  • If a substance is persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic ( PBT ) or very (very ) persistent and very bioaccumulative (vPvB ) holds.

Construction of the exposure scenario

The first part consists mostly of a short title and the summary of the areas covered by the exposure scenario uses or activities. They are mostly divided into individual scenarios, such as mass transfer, sampling, filling of containers and equipment. The following are the operating conditions and the associated risk management measures intended to ensure the safe use.

Identification of the uses of a substance

In the exposure scenario, the exact uses of a substance must be named. Considered to be dangerous uses must be identified therein as " the use of which is discouraged ." An identified use can belong to several exposure scenarios, an exposure scenario can contain multiple identified uses.

The uses specified in the scenario may be standardized with a so-called use descriptor ECHA. The material characteristics of the use descriptor system grouped into five categories, which, in combination with each other a short and standardized description of the use:

  • Sector (Sector of Use, SU ): indicates in which sector a substance is used.
  • Product Category (Product Category, PC): describes the actual product reaches a material for end use.
  • PROC (Process Category, PROC ) describes production and application procedures under occupational health and safety aspects.
  • Release into the environment (Environmental Release Category, ERC ) describes production and application procedures under environmental aspects.
  • Article category ( ArticleCategory, AC): describes the type of product to which a substance is processed.

In many cases, the use descriptor is not sufficient to describe the exact application. For the user, it can be difficult, but it determine whether its use is covered by the exposure scenario. The manufacturers / importers that describe the uses, therefore, must also list the relevant Further uses for the product.

Dissemination of information along the supply chain

You will build from the manufacturer / importer exposure scenario is passed as annex to the Safety Data Sheet ( e- SDS). The REACH Regulation does not prescribe a clear format. The pattern contained in the guidelines of the European Chemicals Agency ( ECHA) on information requirements and chemical safety assessment is generally usable, but not mandatory. A standard format would simplify the clear and comprehensible communication along the supply chain.

Each member of the supply chain is required to disclose this information.

The recipient is obliged to

  • To check whether its use is described in the exposure scenario,
  • To make its operating conditions so that they meet the risk management measures,
  • The information to inform its consumers.

Registration Number

It happens that the material supplied user received a registration number for the hazardous substance or that the last four company-specific digits are missing, which need not be communicated to the users. On the other hand it must be disclosed (with all numbers) authorities against during an inspection the complete registration number. In this case, the user must ask the manufacturer / importer to notify the authorities of the complete registration number no later than seven days after the request directly.

Absence of the exposure scenario

There are various reasons why an exposure scenario in the annex to the safety data sheet is:

  • Not every registrant has the right to assess a chemical safety and to prepare a chemical safety report.
  • Substances that are manufactured or imported in quantities of less than 10 tonnes per year, or substances that are stored isolated according to the article 17 or 18 or transported, need no exposure scenario.
  • Not all registrants are required to carry out a chemical safety assessment and to create the Exposure Scenario:
  • It may be that the substance belongs in a category for which the mandatory registration under the REACH Regulation does not apply (eg, polymer). It may also be that the substance is already pre-registered and the manufacturer / importer has not yet given the registration number.

Even if the supplier / manufacturer does not have, it can provide on its own decision its users safety data sheets are available.

If a substance with respect to the registration requirement applies as an exception, it is recommended that the manufacturer / importer a comment in item 15.2 leaves ( or in the notes, when he adds a new sheet ).

Chemical substance Bioaccumulation
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