On February 25, 2025, the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) published two reports on the evaluation of chemical registrations for 2024. As known, the deadline for submitting transitional registration data has been extended to October 27, 2026. Many registrations submitted by the end of 2024 contain limited information, as transitional provisions still applied to grandfathered registrations and downstream user notifications. HSE focused on new substances that were not registered under EU REACH before 2021.
Between 2021 and 2024, 82 registrations for new substances were received, and compliance checks were completed for 38 of them. Only six low-tonnage substances require additional data, while substances registered above 10 tonnes per year comply with Annexes 7-10 of UK REACH. In 2024, two testing proposals were submitted for toxicological and ecotoxicological data. HSE made decisions in line with the 3Rs principle (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement), prioritizing non-vertebrate alternatives before toxicological tests such as OECD TG 408 and OECD TG 414.
Regarding substance evaluation, HSE classified N-butylbenzenesulphonamide as highly persistent in the environment and may propose a mandatory classification under GB CLP in 2025. The analysis of paraffin waxes and hydrocarbon waxes, chloro (LCCPs) is ongoing to assess their bioaccumulation and toxicity.
For more details, you can consult the HSE reports at the following links: Dossier Evaluation 2024, Substance Evaluation 2024.
