RoHS

RoHS Directive

 

What is RoHS?

 

Restriction of Hazardous Substances - EU Directive 2002/95/EC: restriction on the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical or electronic equipment sold or used in the European Union.

The RoHS compliance directive places the responsibility of compliance on the "producer" of the equipment. Producer is defined as any person who, irrespective of the selling technique used:

  • manufactures and sells electrical and electronic equipment under his own brand;
  • resells under his own brand equipment produced by other suppliers, a reseller not being regarded as the 'producer' if the brand of the producer appears on the equipment, as provided for in subpoint (i); or
  • imports or exports electrical and electronic equipment on a professional basis into a Member State.

 

When is it mandatory?

 

The RoHS Directive (2002/95/EC) become mandatory for all electrical or electronic equipment falling within the scope for the directive, from July 1, 2006

 

Where can I find the Directive?

 

Directive can be download free, click here

 

What are the heavy metals I should be concerned about?

RoHS Restricted Materials

 
Material & Toxicological Profile (pdf)

Maximum Concentration

Lead (Pb)

0.1% by weight

Mercury (Hg)

0.1% by weight

Cadmium (Cd)

0.01% by weight

Hexavalent Chromium (Cr-VI)

0.1% by weight

Polybrominated Biphenyls (PBB)

0.1% by weight

Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDE)

0.1% by weight

 

What Products shall be RoHS compliant?

 

Without prejudice to Article 6, this Directive shall apply to electrical and electronic equipment falling under the categories 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 10 set out in Annex IA to Directive No 2002/96/EC (WEEE) and to electric light bulbs, and luminaires in households.

 

ANNEX 1A to WEEE
Categories of electrical and electronic equipment covered by this Directive:

 

  1. Large Household Appliances
  2. Small Household Appliances
  3. IT and Telecommunications Equipment
  4. Consumer Equipment
  5. Lighting Equipment
  6. Electrical and Electronic Tools (with the exception of large-scale stationary industrial tools)
  7. Toys, Leisure and Sports Equipment
  8. Medical Devices (with the exception of all implanted and infected products)
  9. Monitoring and Control Instruments
  10. Automatic Dispensers

 

What are the exceptions?

 

Exemptions to the maximum allowed concentrations of restricted materials do exist for cases where technology does not yet allow for substitutions, or where alternatives may have a worse impact on human health and the environment. Some exemptions include mercury in several kinds of fluorescent lamps, lead in steel and aluminum alloys, lead in some types of solder, and military applications.

 

FAQ on RoHS Directive

 

To book appointment to learn and implement the RoHS Directive contact us, contact us at RoHS Testing

 

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