Chemical Control Banding: REACH offers new perspectives to strengthen occupational safety and health in SME

Introduction
Since 2010 the EU chemicals regulation REACH explicitly supports the use of control banding approaches for communication on occupational risk management in safety data sheets for hazardous chemicals. This is another milestone in the young history of Control Banding, which has started with COSSH Essentials in 1999. In the last decade the idea of making risk assessment transparent and understandable for SME without specific chemical knowledge by using bands derived from easy available information has spread world-wide, supported by the International Technical Group (ITG) "Control Banding" of WHO and ILO.

Methods
A conference “Perspectives of Control Banding” with 60 OSH experts was held on 21st and 22nd June 2011 at BAuA (Dortmund, Germany). Based on the global development strategy of the ITG "Control Banding" this European Workshop has followed six international (ICBW) and several regional control banding workshops in Asia, South and North America since 2001. Main topics were "Control Banding and REACH", "Scientific basis of Control Banding and new developments" and "Control Banding implementation: communication, training, education".

Results
Some control banding tools are meanwhile well established in OSH practice, e. g. COSHH Essentials, EMKG and Stoffenmanager. Besides being practical in their hands-on use, control banding tools must be sufficiently, but not overly, conservative. The scientific basis of CB tools should be based on validity, reliability and transparency. A strong scientific basis of CB Tools increases the trust in the user community and will provide a clear focus for future developments. Important questions for further research have been identified.

Discussion
The new CLP/GHS regulation harmonizes hazard communication for chemicals all over the world, REACH will provide more and better safety information along chemicals´ supply chains. Control Banding can help to put this information into OSH practice, e.g. by using standardized easy-to-read control guidance sheets for risk communication.