Consultation delays
US
Wisconsin’s PFAS Action Council (WisPAC) will not meet the 30 June deadline to deliver a statewide action plan to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). The action plan has been delayed due to the "extraordinary circumstances" arising out of the Covid-19 pandemic, with many members "heavily engaged" in their agencies’ response to the virus, the council told Chemical Watch. WisPAC will discuss a revised timeline for the action plan at its next meeting, which will be held online on 17 June.
Derogations tracker or eased regulations
Slovenia
Slovenia’s office for chemicals has notified companies that the legal exemption it has issued for certain disinfectants, during the Covid-19 pandemic, will expire on 1 June.
Product approvals issued under the derogation may be extended for a fee, the office said.
"If a greater need for disinfectants is demonstrated again, the office will ... re-adjust the supply and availability of biocidal products to the needs in Slovenia," it said.
Denmark
Denmark’s EPA has ordered the company SSphere Production to immediately revoke a homemade hand disinfection product that was being marketed on online platforms.
The company had provided no information on the product’s contents and no proper labelling, it had not appropriately registered the disinfectant, or ensured that the biocidal active substance comes from a supplier registered under the EU biocidal products Regulation (BPR), the EPA said.
SSphere Production was ordered to send a recall letter to any company, resellers and users who have purchased the product within the last year.
Global
The OECD is collecting available information on policy responses and emergency measures in different countries, to increase the availability of disinfectant products. It is also providing this information to competent authorities and industry organisations.
The information is published in a database, by country, in alphabetical order. "As the situation is fast evolving, countries are submitting information on a rolling basis," the OECD said.
Guidance
UK
The UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued guidance for employers who are providing hand sanitiser for their workers and others to use in their workplaces, and for existing and new manufacturers of hand sanitisers and surface disinfectants.
The guidance also includes information on choosing the right hand sanitiser, which may also be useful to members of the public, the HSE said.