Responsible chemical use

Many substances can do harm when released into the environment. They are at risk of accumulating in humans and wildlife and climbing the food chain. They can also chemically react with one another, producing new substances with new risks. What’s more, they can potentially pose immediate and long-term risks to people who come into direct contact with them.

For all these reasons, we must ensure that chemicals are handled responsibly and that their use is limited to the greatest degree possible. Scania’s standards are continually updated to keep pace with scientific findings and regulation.

Scania’s exposure to chemicals use exists both during production and when the vehicle is being serviced. Scania’s Environmental Principles underscores the following principles for chemical management:

• We strive to select chemicals with the lowest possible health and environmental risk.

   

• We limit and restrict the use of chemicals, especially substances considered carcinogenic, mutagenic, reproduction toxic, toxic, persistent or at risk of bioaccumulation.

   

• Products containing chemical substances included in the STD4159 Grey list (see below) must be monitored. We seek less hazardous alternatives when they are technically and economically feasible. 

   

• Risk assessments are regularly carried out, taking into account the properties of chemicals and their intended use.

Since 2009, materials for parts deriving both from suppliers and manufactured in our own facilities must be reported to our International Material Data System (IMDS). As of 2013, it is also a mandatory requirement for Production Parts Approval. 

Intended not only to provide transparency on materials used, this reporting also allows us to identify and substitute prohibited and restricted substances listed in the Scania standard STD4400. Substances known to be hazardous, but not yet prohibited by regulations are classified as restricted substances. As part of our precautionary approach, these substances should not be used in new designs. The IMDS also enables us to analyse other potential risk substances and to check our products against customers’ lists of unwanted substances. 

“Chemical substances with limited use in Scania” is the standard applied to chemicals used within our own operations. These make up the so-called Scania grey list (STD4159), while “Chemical substances which must not be used” are on the Scania black list (STD4158). All of these standards are intended to complement requirements from national legislation and other agreements