New chemical substances registration under Occupational Safety and Health Act came into force on January 1st, 2015. Taiwan Chemical Substances Inventory, TCSI established by MOL was now available. Industries and stakeholders were able to access listed chemicals through search function in the Chemical Registration Management Website (http://csnn.osha.gov.tw).For chemical substances that are not listed in the Inventory and hence identified as new chemical substances, a chemical substance safety assessment report must be submitted for approval before importing or manufacturing.
     To strengthen chemical source control management and safeguard workers health and safety, MOL had been reported the Executive Yuan in 2009 and implemented an interagency program of “National chemical substances registration and information utilization “during 2009 and 2010. An industrial voluntary nomination program was launched according to the Directions for chemical substances nomination prescribed in 2009. The inventory was established and renewed by supplementary nomination (SSECN) carried out respectively in 2012 and May, 2014. There are 93,000 chemical substances included in the inventory of chemical substances. This inventory (TCSI) serves as a reference for new chemical substances registration, which applies to substances that are not listed in the inventory of chemical substances issued by Occupational Safety and Health Act on January 1st, 2015.
     According to Article 13 of Occupational Safety and Health Act, manufacturers or importers shall not manufacture or import chemicals containing new chemical substances that are not in the inventory of chemical substances announced by the central competent authority prior to submitting a chemical substance safety assessment report to the central competent authority and receiving registration approval for the new substances. Given that the inventory of chemical substances is a legal installation of reference used to identify new chemical substances and may affect rights and interests of manufacturing and import firms, MOL developed the Chemical Registration Management Website (http://csnn.osha.gov.tw)for industrials to search the inventory of chemical substances and access the latest information. For further enquiries, please contact Safety and Health Technology Center (SAHTECH) Helpdesk for advice. (06-2937770)
     MOL Occupational Safety and Health Administration pointed out that rather the mechanisms of new chemical substances registration authorized under MOL and Toxic Chemical Substances Control Act of Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) are both the same devices for chemical source control, but the purposes and targets of two different laws are different in nature. Concerns of avoiding repeated registrations and extra burdens to industries are addressed. MOL and EPA are seeking corporation and to adopt a harmonized “single registration window” to avoid the duplication of registration requirements at most.