RICHARD ELSMORE
Member of Chimica Oggi / Chemistry Today Scientific Advisory Board
JSC International Limited, Simpson House, Windsor Court, Clarence Drive, Harrogate, HG1 2PE, United Kingdom

Dear Readers,
When asked to write a short editorial I must admit I had some reservations - writing technical papers is much easier particularly when asked to write about myself and what I do.
Working in regulatory affairs may not appear, at first glance, to be the most exciting of careers (don’t get fooled by the fact that the job title includes the word ‘affairs’) but I hope to show that it can be an exciting and strategic role inside the chemical industry.
Perhaps the first question should be ‘what does regulatory affairs involve?’ I have been asked what I do for a living (for example when down the pub) and this often proves to be difficult to explain to someone not involved with the chemical industry. My first approach is usually to explain that it is to demonstrate that chemicals and the products in which they are used in are safe for their intended purpose. This includes safety to humans in the form of users of the chemicals, as well as people who may come into contact with the chemicals in their everyday lives and safety to the environment. In most cases these chemicals are highly regulated and controlled at the EU level and the legislat ...