SU

Sector of Use

Describes the area of use, (e.g. manufacture, public domain, private use, etc.) and also the type of industry (e.g. large scale chemical manufacture)

ES

Exposure Scenario

Covers the set of conditions [usually based around a Process Category (PROC code) for workers, Product Category (PC Code) or Article Category (AC) for consumers or Environmental Release Category (ERC) for the environment] that describe how a substance can be safely used, and which include the necessary operational conditions (OCs) and risk management measures (RMMs) which the M/I considers should be implemented to control the risks to human health and the environment associated with the use. An ES is specific to a substance or product.

GES

Generic Exposure Scenario

Describes the necessary operational conditions (OCs) and risk management measures (RMMs) which should be implemented to control the risks to human health and the environment associated with the use (or uses) of a group of substances/products with a similar risk profile within a general area of industry (and may extend across several PROCs, PCs/ACs or ERCs). By definition, it aggregates the individual Exposure Scenarios for the various tasks and activities that constitute the general use of the substance/product within a specific sector. It is developed by M/Is in partnership with DU associations.

UD

Use Descriptor

The term used in REACH to describe the PROCs, PCs, ERCs and SUs.

PROC

Process category

How the substance is being used (e.g. spraying in industrial settings or applications).

PC

Product category

Type of product (e.g. hydraulic fluid).

AC

Article category

Type of article (e.g. rubber product: tyres).

ERC

Environmental release category

A conservative set of exposure conditions that is intended to ensure that releases to the environment from an use (e.g. industrial use of substances in closed systems) do not represent a cause for concern

SPERC

Specific ERC

An ERC, developed by industry, and based on realistic data and assumptions for a particular use.

OC

Operational conditions

What happens during manufacture or use (e.g. pumped transfer from closed mixing vessel to drum)

RMM

Risk management measures

Actions taken to reduce exposure to an identified hazard (e.g. use of closed vessel to prevent exposure to vapours)

ECETOC

European Centre for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals

ECETOC is a scientific forum for chemical companies to harness their specialist expertise to research, review and assess the ecotoxicology and toxicology of chemicals.

ECETOC TRA

ECETOC Targeted Risk Assessment

A tiered (step-wise) approach for calculating the exposure to (and risks from) chemicals that might reasonably be expected from defined circumstances of use addressing exposure to consumers, workers and the environment.

DUCC

Downstream Users of Chemicals Co-ordination Group

Informal platform of European associations which represent “downstream” industries ranging from cosmetics and detergents to aerosols, paints, adhesives, photographic and construction chemicals and chemical distributors industries.

ERGTC

European REACH Grease Thickener Consortium

ERGTC was established in 2008 to bring together several organisations with an interest in substances used as thickeners in the grease manufacturing industry. The ERGTC has a large portfolio of substances, with wide-ranging chemistry. A number of substances were registered in 2013 with the remaining substances to be registered by 2018.