The law, legislation and directives

EC Directives

REACH
REACH is the acronym used to describe the Chemical manufacture and storage new EU Chemical policy which is currently under negotiation. This new policy has been developed to deal with growing concern about chemicals and the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is responsible for the coordination of the UK position.
Existing Substances Regulation (ESR)
EC Council Regulation (EEC) No 793/93 of 23 March 1993 on the evaluation and control of the risks of existing substances.
PIC Procedure
Regulation EC 304/2003 implements the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent, the 'PIC procedure'. It gives importing countries the opportunity to refuse, or apply conditions to, imports of certain dangerous chemicals.

Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 1999 (COMAH) as amended
These Regulations aim to prevent and mitigate the effects of those major accidents involving dangerous substances. The Regulations place duties on operators of sites that hold dangerous substances in quantities above specified thresholds. Most are likely to be found in the chemical industry, but will also be present in other sectors.
Chemicals (Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply) Regulations 2002 (CHIP) Ensures people are supplied with the information they need to protect themselves from chemicals. CHIP obliges suppliers of chemicals to identify hazards and provide appropriate packaging labels and safety data sheets.
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH)
These Regulations require employers to control exposures to hazardous substances to protect both employees and others who may be exposed from work activities.
The Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road Regulations 1996 (CDGR)
CDGR place duties upon everyone involved in the carriage of dangerous goods by road, to ensure that they know what they have to do to minimise the risk of incidents and guarantee an effective response.