Hazardous Materials Working Group

The SMMT Hazardous Materials Working Group (HMWG) began by focussing on workplace safety issues, and then progressed to more strategic product related issues (End-of-Life Vehicles etc). It has provided guidance on several issues in the past, such as COSHH, used engine oils, airbags etc. After several dormant years, the HMWG was reconvened in November 2002 to focus on one key policy area: Registration, Evaluation & Authorisation of Chemicals (REACH), the new EU chemicals policy.

The core aims for the short-medium term are:-

• to assess the likely impacts of REACH on the automotive industry; and
• to develop an SMMT response to REACH.

The HMWG operates mainly as a correspondence group and reports to the Environmental Policy Committee. Full SMMT members may apply to join the group. Group correspondence is available to members in the restricted area of the site or as distributed by the Working Group secretary.

TF-REACH and the automotive industry guidelines on REACH

Representatives of all the major vehicle manufacturers (ACEA, JAMA, KAMA) and the automotive supply chain (CLEPA, AIAG) formed a Task Force on REACH (TF-REACH). The Task Force issued version 3.0 of The Automotive Industry Guideline on REACH (AIG) in July 2011. All the TF publications and position papers are available for download free of charge at www.acea.be/reach

Automotive sector events on REACH

The series of awareness raising seminars have now finished.

For further information please e-mail techwgweb@smmt.co.uk