ARTICLE

REACH
REGULATION
AND
STAINLESS
STEEL
CONTAINERS
JUNE 2018
WHAT IS REACH?
REACH1 is the European Regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals2. It entered
into force in 2007, replacing the former legislative framework for chemicals in the EU.

REACH shifts the responsibility from public authorities to industry regarding the assessment and management of the risks
posed by chemicals and the providing of appropriate safety information for their users. It impacts a wide range of companies
beyond the chemical industry and requires new forms of cooperation among companies, enhancing communication along
the supply chain, as well as developing tools to guide and assist companies and public authorities in its implementation.

To manage all the technical, scientific and administrative aspects of the REACH system at EU level, the European Chemicals
Agency (ECHA)3 administers the regulations with the assistance of competent authorities within the various European
member states.

The main aims of REACH are to ensure a high level of protection for human health and the environment, including the
promotion of alternative test methods, as well as to encourage the free circulation of substances on the internal market
and the enhancement of competitiveness and innovation.

REACH & PACKAGING

The chemical industry is extremely demanding because of the stringent controls and certifications it must fulfil in order
the meet the highest quality standards. It is therefore absolutely essential that all containers used within the industry
should fully preserve the characteristics of the chemical products they contain to ensure the highest standards of quality
and safety.

To do so, it is essential to select the appropriate material for building the containers. This requires an exhaustive
understanding of the conditions in which they will be used and the specificities they will have to fulfil.

Materials that come in contact with chemicals must guarantee fully aseptic storage conditions and resist corrosion
and high temperatures to ensure a long lifespan of heavy-duty use, which is precisely why stainless steel is used in the
chemical industry. Stainless steel is also totally inert, easy to clean and sturdy, making it the ideal material for the safe and
environmentally friendly shipping of chemical products.

THIELMANN manufactures containers using only the highest quality of stainless steel grades to fulfil the most stringent
requirements and offer personalized solutions for every situation.

Selecting the most suitable stainless steel grade for each specific application is vitally important to provide the safest
and most adequate packaging solution. And although many claim they have exhaustively documented stainless steel
compatibility with specific products, THIELMANN relies on its own stainless steel expertise and on the tests carried out by
specialized laboratories to ensure full compatibility between the selected packaging material and the product it contains.

1. http://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/chemicals/reach
2. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32006R1907R(01)&from=ES
3. https://echa.europa.eu/es/home

THIELMANN - The Container Company 2

THIELMANN CONTAINERS: SAFE AND HIGH-QUALITY PACKAGING SOLUTIONS
THIELMANN containers are designed to meet the specific needs of the chemical industry. Our containers can be fully
adapted to all processes and their shelf life is guaranteed for years.

In order to fulfil the relevant safety and quality standards, our containers are subjected to tests and certifications as
presented in the Pressure Equipment Directive (PED) (add footnote), the UN/ADR approval for dangerous goods or any
other regulation that our customers must fulfil.

- The PED covers a very broad range of products such as vessels and pressurized storage containers
and will apply to the design, manufacture and conformity assessment of pressure vessels whose
maximum allowable pressure is greater than 0.5 bar. That said, it should also be noted that there is a
list of products to which the PED does not apply, the relevance of which THIELMANN is able to assess
on a case-by-case basis.

The PED enumerates the requirements that a pressure vessel must fulfil when installed and/or put into
service in the EU market. It does not indicate how these requirements should be met, thus granting
flexibility to manufacturers regarding the technical solutions to be implemented. THIELMANN’s
expertise ensures the best solution for each customer will be provided.

The vessels are categorized from least to most hazardous based on the fluids to be contained, the
maximum allowable pressure they are designed for and their internal volume. Each category requires
a specific assessment procedure that can be carried out either by the internal production control of the
manufacturer who is therefore solely responsible for the fulfilment of all PED requirements, or by the
more stringent control of a third party (the Notified Body). It is this latter solution that THIELMANN
has chosen, working only with the most competent and prestigious Notified Bodies.

- When packaging hazardous goods to be transported, the main objective is to make sure they withstand
harsh shipping conditions to avoid injuring people and other living beings and damage to properties and
the environment. With those purposes in mind, there are several requirements that the packaging must
fulfil. In most cases and countries, these requirements are established by the tests described in the
UN Model Regulations (add footnote). The requirements for the construction and testing of packaging,
intermediate bulk containers, large packaging and tanks are described in this document. THIELMANN
fulfils these regulations in order to obtain the UN certification from the competent authority.

A competent authority allocates a unique UN approval mark to each successfully tested packaging
design-type that can then be applied to every serially produced packaging that conforms to the
design-type specification.

As an example, the ADR (UN Model Regulation on the inland transport of dangerous goods) is adopted
in the EU by the Directive 2008/68/EC4. This Directive establishes a common regime for all aspects of
the inland transport of dangerous goods, by road, rail, and inland waterways. Transport of dangerous
goods between Member States, and between Member States and third countries, must comply with
the requirements indicated.

4. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32008L0068

THIELMANN - The Container Company 3

EXPERTISE YOU CAN TRUST
As the world’s leading manufacturer of stainless steel containers, THIELMANN provides every customer with the containers
required to transport and/or store chemical products, whatever means of transport and regions may be considered.

THIELMANN’s extensive experience and knowledge allows us to fulfil any regulation and requirement worldwide, for all
products, means of transport, handling and storage.

Our technical team will provide any assistance required to guarantee that products are safely stored and transported from
their point of origin to their destination, fulfilling all the requirements that apply to them.

To comply with the REACH regulation, companies must identify and manage the risks related to the substances they
manufacture and market in the EU. They must demonstrate to ECHA how the substances can be safely used, and they
must communicate the risk management measures to the users.

This information is communicated to ECHA by means of a registration dossier containing the hazard information and, when
relevant, an assessment of the risks that the use of the substance may pose and how these risks should be controlled.

Industries must come to grips with the hazards related to the storage and transportation of their products. A safe container
is therefore a key component to ensure safe use and efficient risk management. THIELMANN can offer secure solutions for
every particular situation and support you with an expertise you can trust.

THIELMANN - The Container Company 4

CONTACT US. WE ARE THE
EXPERTS YOU CAN TRUST.
sales@thielmann.com

THIELMANN UCON GmbH THIELMANN PORTINOX SPAIN S.A. WEW Container Systems GmbH
Gustav-Rivinius Platz 2 Ctra Pulianas, km 6 Ringstrasse 65a
77756 - Hausach 18197 - Pulianas - Granada 57586 - Weitefeld
Germany Spain Germany
Tel. +49 7831 77269 Tel. +34 958 406000 Tel. +49 151 62835012

THIELMANN Mexico S.A. de C.V. THIELMANN UK Ltd. THIELMANN US LLC.

Eje 124 No. 115-7 Zona Industrial Unit 1 Churchwell Vale - Shaw Cross 650 North Sam Parkway East, Suite 210,
78395 - San Luis Potosi Business Park - WF12 7RD - Dewsbury Houston, Texas 77060
Mexico United Kingdom United States
Tel. +52 444 4565300 Tel. +44 1924 885010 Tel. +1 281 741 8547

THIELMANN AG
Park Tower 12th Floor, Gubelstrasse 24
6300 - Zug
Switzerland

THIELMANN - The Container Company