It comes in response to new EU laws on chemicals and their safe use and is known as REACH because it deals with the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals.

"For EU-based companies it is their responsibility to ensure any textile products including chemicals used in manufacture, whether they have been produced outside or within the EU, have been evaluated to ensure they are REACH compliant," said Asif Shah of Manchester-based Shirley Technologies.

"If you are a textile company based outside of the European Union then you are obliged to inform your EU based buyers on the status of SVHC within products that are supplied to them.

"Our new service will test to determine whether the products they are producing contain SVHC and issue them with a certificate which will show their SVHC status."

The new EU law also empowers consumers by allowing them to request the levels of SVHC for products bought from a retailer. The retailer now has a legal obligation to reply within 45 days to the consumer informing him if the product he has purchased has any of these substances in them.

"The service can help protect organisations within the supply chain - be they a manufacturer or a retailer and will help to legally enforce the banning of certain substances that can cause serious harm to both humans and the environment," said Mr Shah.

"There is a list of 15 substances that are currently considered to be SVHC - and which will be rigorously monitored if being used or sold within the EU."

For more information visit www.shirleytech.co.uk

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