Chemical Management Via ChemSHERPA

There is an increasing demand to improve global chemical management and information sharing. Information handling between supply-chain participants is crucial to effectively manage chemical substances in products (CiP) and continuously adapt to evolving laws and regulations. One common technique for handling chemical information across a supply chain is the ChemSHERPA.

What is ChemSHERPA?

ChemSHERPA is the short term for Chemical information Sharing and Exchange under Reporting PArtnership in the supply chain. It is an information-sharing scheme for chemical substances in products. Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) developed ChemSHERPA in October 2015. The ministry’s goal is to make it a standard throughout the supply chain. This method facilitates sharing of reliable information on the chemicals used in products. Furthermore, ChemSHERPA enables organizations to manage the CiP information consistent with a consolidated policy. The operator of this plateform is Joint Article Management Promotion-consortium (JAMP).

Which Industries Can Use ChemSHERPA?

The initial focus of ChemSHERPA was on the electrical and electronics industry. According to an estimation done by JAMP in 2016, 39% of the companies participating in the monthly seminars in Japan on ChemSHERPA were electrical and electronics organizations, while 23% were from the chemical industry. There were also businesses from other industry sectors, including automobile, manufacturing, wood and paper, aerospace, and metal products.

ChemSHERPA eventually expanded to other sectors of the industry. Essentially, it applies to various businesses and products from upstream to downstream in a supply chain.

In 2016, Meti introduced ChemSHERPA to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and the European Commission. There is also increasing interest in ChemSHERPA from other countries worldwide, such as China, the USA, Canada, and Germany.

Currently, several big companies use ChemSHERPA for their chemical management, such as:

Panasonic
Murata Manufacturing
RICOH
Mitsubishi Chemical
Hitachi
Fujitsu, etc.

How can Organizations Manage Chemicals in their Products?

In a nutshell, chemical management reduces risk and improves product quality and brand reputation by making informed decisions that maintain product reliability and protect human health and the environment. Therefore, companies implement chemical management systems by:

Acquiring chemical information from vendors
Maintaining acquired information
Determining any changes to the chemical content of their products
Providing chemical data to customers.

Importantly, international standards can help corporates adopt the best-recognized practices. Such standards enable them to demonstrate transparency and due diligence. Examples are:

Why is it Important to Manage Chemicals Using a Unified Tool?

Here, we are discussing three key reasons why organizations should follow a unique chemical management scheme:

The number of laws and regulations demanding information management for hazardous chemicals in products is rising globally. Examples of regulations mandating the control of chemicals found in products are:

J-Moss – Japan Marking of Specific Substances
EU RoHS
EU REACH
End-of Life Vehicles (ELV)
Safety Data Sheets (SDS) of chemicals and CLP Regulations
The End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) Directive
Biocidal Product Regulation
China RoHS
Taiwan RoHS (Taiwan CNS 15663)
US TSCA PBT
California Proposition 65
And other Substances Control in Products.

2. There are risks associated with not providing appropriate information and chemical management. Organizations could face significant fines, suspension of their business, and even imprisonment. There is also potential for product recalls leading to increasing the organization’s expenses and contract termination.

3. Chemical management could be challenging for many companies if they want to follow an internal reporting format. ChemSHERPA provides a solution to all the problems associated with chemical management. As a result, ChemSHERPA minimizes the burden on companies.

What are the Benefits of ChemSHERPA?

ChemSHERPA helps organizations in managing the chemical used in their products by providing a mechanism implementing the following three requirements:

It unifies and minimizes the number of data items and description formats by employing ChemSHERPA-CI/AI.
It contributes to legal compliance and covers key global regulations by using ChemSHERPA declarable substance lists which are industry-shared lists of chemicals.
It also utilizes shared, practical supply chain guidelines for managing the chemicals used in products.

Do you have questions about how to manage hazardous chemicals in your products? Contact Enviropass!

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