Industry
ABB is global technology leader in electrification and automation with over 110. 000 employees and 170 manufacturing sites worldwide. As part of its duty of care to ensure environmental protection and to avoid contributing to conflicts and exploitation in countries connected to its supply chain, ABB maintains a prohibited and restricted substances list.
The list allows ABB to monitor the use of the substances and phase out the use of hazardous substances in its products and processes wherever possible. The lists also outline to its supply chain its expectations to actively support ongoing efforts to manage and demonstrate product compliance with regulations.
RINA manages and updates on behalf of ABB the maintenance of its internal list of hazardous substances relevant to ABB’s process chemicals, and its supplier hazardous substances list to ensure that its suppliers are meeting the relevant requirements.
The lists cover global legislative requirements including:
In order to provide updates related to these pieces of legislation, as well as any that are emerging relevant to ABB’s products, RINA continuously monitors legislative changes. Where there are upcoming or implemented changes, RINA provides quarterly updates outlining the scope of the changes, likely impact, and timeline to ABB to ensure internal stakeholders are aware of the requirements.
The ABB List has been compiled to ensure that it complies with legislative requirements, to ensure a high level of protection for human health and the environment, and to manage risks encountered by chemicals present in various products. Through RINA’s support in the evaluation process of the substances included in the ABB List, substances are selected based on an assessment of their likely presence in a material or part supplied to ABB and incorporated in an ABB product.
As such the list is tailored to ABB’s specific risks and obligations related to hazardous substance management. By referring to the list, ABB is able to prioritise its own phase out the use of hazardous substances in ABB products and processes wherever possible, as well as ensure this is also undertaken in its supply chain.
Through active monitoring of new and upcoming regulatory changes, ABB can undertake the relevant actions to ensure compliance with global legislative requirements.
