The Wood Protection Association (WPA) has moved to “set the record straight” on wood preservatives containing chromium, indicating that the regulation horizon in Europe will mean the metal’s days are likely to be numbered.
The WPA has issued the clarification in answer to some quarters of the wood supply chain asking why UK timber preservative manufacturers don’t return to formulations containing chromium.
The manufacture of timber treatment containing chromium was banned in the UK in 2006, after the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) ruled that it was an active ingredient. But a regulation loophole means timber treated with chromium can still be imported.
Some timber treated using chromium is being exported to the UK and is actively promoted.
WPA director Steve Young said there was a lack of awareness of the restrictions on chromium use in wood preservatives.
He said the HSE had made it clear in 2006 that the future lay with non-chrome formulations and the WPA’s manufacturing members had had to make a commercial decision based on that and made the change to chromium-free formulations.
He said the inconsistency in European policy meant that several countries, including Germany, France, Latvia and Sweden continued to use the metal, albeit as a fixative rather than an active ingredient subject to European Commission restrictions.
But Mr Young said REACH regulations and the need to submit toxicity and safety data as part of the European Biocidal Products Directive (BPD) in the next few years could change this situation.
“If the data submitted on chromium is not accepted then copper chromium products will have to be withdrawn and the loophole caused by an inability of EU member states to agree a harmonised approach will be closed,” he said.
“The days of chrome are very much numbered,” he said, adding that choosing to make a major investment in chromium treatment would be a “difficult decision for any business to take”.
“The WPA believes it is important to recognise that its manufacturing members have invested millions in supporting copper carbonate and copper oxide as active ingredients, and are continuing to do so and that this commitment means seeing them through the BPD.”
