Denehurst Chemical Safety Ltd
IUCLID 5.3 - software for REACH Registration
IUCLID 5.3 is downloaded from the IUCLID web-pages It is necessary to set up a user account and remember your log-in details to download updates. ECHA will inform you of new updates and add-ons ('tools').
Download is quick and easy and installation is relatively pain free once you get past the PostgresSQL and Jaca stuff. Note that when installing Postress, go for the most basic version as the add-ons are not needed and can complicate installation. Allow 30 minutes of your life to get it installed and then take a long lunch break while it sorts itself out. Java may need to be installed, but this is relatively pain free.
For Postgress, the link is http://www.postgresql.org/download/
IUCLID 5.3 changed many 'behind the scenes' with new options on dossiers and apparent improvements in stability and also introduce spell-checking and other convenience items.
A simple installation guide for 'stand-alone' is available on request; contact info@denehurst.co.uk. The distributed version for networking is more complex and support is needed from IT experts.
IUCLID is actually a rather good tool once the user is used to it. Do not give up in the first day.
When you are familiar with IUCLID, completing the dossier Sections 1 and 3 as part of a joint submission takes 2 - 3 hours, once key information (such as analysis and use descriptors) are gathered. It is not difficult.
Updated Jan 2012
Denehurst offers training in IUCLID 5.3 and the creation of dossiers for submission through REACH IT.
The use of IUCLID is actually easy and the main objective of training is to show people that it can be handled easily and should not be frightening. Secondly, there are many places where IUCLID expects an entry and failure to complete may lead to technical completeness failure; in these places, it is necessary to persuade the computer checking your submission that you have done it correctly even when logic suggests that there is no point adding information.
The second main objective for this type of work is help registrants keep costs down with consulting companies - to be fair to the consultants, they often need a lot of time to extract the correct information from the registrants, even though completing the registration dossier is easy. If someone is using a consultant, it will help everyone if the correct information is provided first time.
One day training is sufficient for use of IUCLID and practical registration support, but different content can be provided depending on whether it was just for secondary registrants (part of joint submissions) or for those needing to complete classification sections and data input (lead registrants). Data input on IUCLID is easy, but interpretation of the science is not something that can be taught in one day.
Information on the data endpoints can be found here (Guide to Laboratory Testing)
IUCLID 5 comes with tools to help the user prepare their REACH dossier and pass the completeness checks. Not all of the tools are needed and indeed there is a conflict between the CHESAR and CSR tools. The tools also slow down IUCLID and if your computer is close to the performance limits, installing the tools may slow things further; opening IUCLID certainly slows, even on a high performance PC. Only the TCC tool is essential.
To download the tools, go to the IUCLID web-site, log-in and go to downloads. After the necessary disclaimers etc, the tools will download as zip files. The zip files will either be 'client' or 'server' files. To install, it is necessary to rummage on the hard-drive of your PC to find the IUCLID program and without opening these files, drag into the respective client and server folders in the IUCLID program. This must be done when IUCLID is not running.
If successful, icons will appear in the tools section near the bottom of the home page.
IUCLID tools are summarised below:
Technical Completeness Check (TCC) tool - very useful as it finds errors or missing sections in the substance file and dossier file. Although picking up some business rules, it does not find them all.
CSR tool - extracts the data from IUCLID and puts into rich-text-format document that can be saved as a Word file. A great time saver for lead registrants or anyone writing a CSR.
CHESAR - uses data and other entries in IUCLID to estimate exposure and risk characterisation (in theory). It does not actually work very well and results can be misleading; manual calculations are more useful.
Fees tool - only useful if making confidentiality claims as it add these up and works out your fee (more or less)
Dissemination tool - can be used with the dossier to create a file that will look like the disseminated dossiers. This helps check that confidential material is not likely to be published.
IUCLID 5 is part of the REACH IT process and can be downloaded for free from the ECHA web-site. Since February 2011, IUCLID 5.3 has been available. If IUCLID 5.2 was already installed, updating to 5.3 should be relatively easy, with the most difficult step being creating and re-installing back-up from 5.2
Creating a back-up of 5.2 is done by clicking the file option in 5.2 (top left 'file' tab) and then waiting a long time (perhaps hours) for this to be completed. As a tip, export key substances files and dossiers and save on your hard-drive to be certain of saving key documents. Some updates have caused problems and un-installing all IUCLID files and starting again may be the only option. In this case, back-up may be lost and and re-importing files from your hard-drive is perhaps the only option.
The ECHA web-site offers advice on downloading and this can be done by anyone with a reasonable level of IT skill and who can follow instructions carefully. The system is not very forgiving and mistakes made in the download process may affect operation later. The IUCLID 5 helpdesk responds quickly to questions relating to the installation or use of IUCLID 5 and contact is by e mail through the service desk [opens new window]
Denehurst can offer science and regulatory support on IUCLID 5 relating to data input and training. IT support is not given beyond the basics. More information is on the REACHReady Web-site concerning IT courses provided.
IUCLID is not hard to use and once installed and running (leave yourself plenty of time if downloading and installing yourself, as it will take up to 2 hours with a fast internet connection and good PC), it is recommended that you familiarise yourself with the content before attempting any submissions.
Although there is a completeness check that ensure all data end-points have been considered, it is not necessary to fill in every data field as some had feared when it was first released. There are a few myths and fallacies with IUCLID - try it yourself and you will find it as easy as an online tax return.
Click here for pdf of installation help
For more information contact us