FLUKE
Kimball Electronics
Tolomatic
Industrial Scientific
AHEAD
roboception
FLUKE
Kimball Electronics
Tolomatic
Industrial Scientific
AHEAD
roboception
By Deepa Shetty | Wed May 28 2025 | 2 min read

Table of Contents

What Are SVHCs?

SVHCs are chemicals that have serious effects on human health or the environment. They include substances that are:

  • Carcinogenic, Mutagenic, or Toxic to Reproduction (CMR)
  • Persistent, Bioaccumulative and Toxic (PBT)
  • Very Persistent and Very Bioaccumulative (vPvB)
  • Or identified on a case-by-case basis for equivalent concern (e.g., endocrine disruptors)

SVHCs are listed on the REACH Candidate List, and if present above 0.1% w/w in articles, they must be:

  • Communicated to downstream users (Article 33 REACH)
  • Reported in the SCIP database (if applicable)

Why SVHC Screening Is a Non-Negotiable for REACH Compliance

Under the EU REACH regulation, businesses that manufacture, import, or supply articles in the European market must identify and disclose the presence of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs). Failure to comply can result in market bans, damaged reputation, and steep penalties.

SVHC screening is not just a regulatory checkbox—it's a proactive risk management practice. With over 240+ substances currently on the Candidate List (as of 2025), and updates every six months, staying ahead demands automation, precision, and scale.

Manufacturers need more than substance lists they need a structured REACH compliance management approach to track SVHC risks across products and suppliers.

The SVHC Screening Challenge: Data Gaps & Complexity

Non-EU manufacturers face three major pain points:

  1. Lack of product-level material disclosure from suppliers
  2. Manual tracking of ever-changing SVHC lists
  3. Inconsistent formats of supplier declarations (PDFs, spreadsheets, emails)

Manually verifying thousands of parts and substances across global supply chains is simply not scalable.

Enter SVHC Screening Tools: What They Do

Modern SVHC screening tools, like the ones offered by Acquis, help automate and standardize the process. Key features include:

  • Bill of Material (BoM) Analysis: Upload your BoMs to detect substances and materials flagged as SVHCs
  • Automated Matching: Map CAS numbers or material codes to the REACH Candidate List in real time
  • Regulatory Updates Feed: Get instant alerts when ECHA updates the SVHC list
  • Data Gap Detection: Identify missing supplier data and trigger follow-up actions
  • SCIP Integration: Seamless export of data for SCIP dossier generation

Benefits of Using SVHC Screening Software

  • Reduce risk of non-compliance fines or recall
  • Save time and resources through automation
  • Maintain always-audit-ready documentation
  • Gain visibility into high-risk suppliers or materials

Best Practices When Using SVHC Screening Tools

  1. Start with your BoM: Upload your product data to get a baseline screening
  2. Involve your suppliers early: Share requirements and formats for material declarations (e.g. IPC-1752A, IEC 62474)
  3. Set update alerts: Stay aligned with ECHA’s biannual SVHC list updates
  4. Build a compliance dashboard: Track supplier coverage, risk scores, and open gaps

Book a Strategy Call: Simplify Your SVHC Screening Today

Ready to automate SVHC screening across your supply chain? Acquis helps global manufacturers eliminate compliance uncertainty with tools built for speed, scale, and accuracy.

Book a Free Compliance Strategy Call and see how our SVHC screening solutions can work for you.

Topics

REACH

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REACH SVHC Screening Tools: How to Streamline Substance Identification in Your Supply Chain

SVHCs (Substances of Very High Concern) are chemicals identified by ECHA for their serious effects on human health or the environment. These include CMRs (carcinogenic, mutagenic, or toxic to reproduction), PBTs (persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic), vPvBs (very persistent, very bioaccumulative), or substances of equivalent concern like endocrine disruptors.
The REACH Candidate List is the official list of SVHCs published by ECHA. It’s updated approximately every six months. As of 2025, it includes over 250 SVHC substances , and the list continues to grow based on scientific assessments and stakeholder inputs.
If an article contains any SVHC above 0.1% weight by weight (w/w), suppliers must inform downstream users under Article 33 of REACH . This includes providing the name of the SVHC and safe use instructions.
Under the EU Waste Framework Directive , any article containing SVHCs above 0.1% w/w must be reported in the SCIP database before placing it on the EU market. This applies to EU importers, producers, and assemblers.
Use a SVHC screening tool that analyzes your Bill of Materials (BoM), cross-references CAS numbers with the REACH Candidate List, and highlights SVHC content. Tools like Acquis SVHC Screening Software automate this process at scale.
Set up alerts or use compliance platforms that integrate real-time ECHA updates. Staying current with each Candidate List update is essential for compliance and SCIP readiness.
Use standardized formats like IPC-1752A or IEC 62474 for supplier declarations. These formats ensure easier parsing, automation, and compatibility with screening platforms and SCIP dossiers.
Automation reduces manual errors, ensures always-audit-ready documentation, and enables real-time visibility into high-risk substances, missing supplier data, and regulatory changes.