You must ensure that all the products and components you place on the UK market comply with the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS) Regulations. If you put new electrical and electronic goods onto the EU market they must not contain more than the permitted levels of certain hazardous substances.
Hazardous substances.
There are limits on the concentrations of:
- lead
- mercury
- cadmium
- hexavalent chromium
- polybrominated biphenyl (PBB)
- polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE).
The maximum concentration permitted for these substances is 0.1% or 1000ppm by weight of homogeneous material, except for cadmium which is limited to 0.01% or 100ppm by weight of homogeneous material.
Homogenous materials are materials that consist of the same material throughout, eg individual types of plastic, paper, glass or coatings.
This means that the limits do not apply to the weight of the finished product, or to individual product components. They apply to any single material in a product that could be separated mechanically. For example, you must treat the plastic coating of a cable and the individual wires within it as separate materials.
Everything that can be identified as a homogeneous material must meet the limits. If just one part exceeds the limit, then the entire piece of equipment will fail the requirements of RoHS.
You must be able to show, on demand, that your products comply with the RoHS Regulations. You can use technical documentation or other relevant information to show the concentrations of hazardous substances in your products.
RoHS labelling
There is no official symbol to show that electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) complies with RoHS. However you should label your EEE to show that it is RoHS compliant. This helps when it is recycled.
Many products are labelled as lead-free. But this does not necessarily mean that they are RoHS compliant. If in doubt you should always check with your supplier.
RoHS enforcement
The National Measurement Office is the UK enforcing authority for the RoHS Regulations.
The National Measurement Office can request paperwork from you that shows your products comply with RoHS. They will buy your products to test them for compliance.
If the National Measurement Office requests information, you have 28 days to prepare and submit it.
You must keep paperwork that shows your EEE products are RoHS compliant. You must keep these records for four years after placing your products on the market.
