Testing and certification services for the increasing number of companies bound by the EU’s RoHS rules
BSI understands the impact of the RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) Directive on your business, and can guide you through every step of the compliance process. More than this, it can help you develop the management systems needed to ensure compliance in the long term - and win the long-term confidence of enforcement agencies and customers.
The scheme for the BSI Kitemark™ covers both products and processes, and is based partly on BS EN 50581:2012, the European standard for technical documentation for EEE, specified under RoHS. Our inspectors test samples and they assess internal processes - making sure both comply with EU law.
What is the RoHS Directive?
Directive 2002/95/EC on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), otherwise known as RoHS, seeks to reduce the impact of EEE on the environment. Linked to the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive, it restricts the use of certain hazardous substances at the point of manufacture.
It sets maximum limits for:
- Lead
- Hexavalent chromium
- Mercury
- Polybrominated biphenyls
- Cadmium
- Polybrominated diphenyl ethers
The directive was revised in 2011, and is now significantly broader in scope.
RoHS 2
Implemented in phases, the ‘re-cast’ directive, RoHS 2, gradually extends the restrictions on hazardous substances to more categories of products. It covers:
- Large household appliances
- Small household appliances
- IT and telecommunications equipment
- Consumer equipment
- Lighting equipment
- Electrical and electronic tools
- Toys, leisure and sports equipment
- Automatic dispensers
- Medical devices (from July 2014)
- Monitoring and control instruments (from July 2014)
- In-vitro diagnostic medical devices (from July 2016)
- Industrial monitoring and control instruments (from July 2017)
- All non-exempt EEE not captured in the above (from July 2019)
BSI Kitemark™ : The answer to RoHS compliance
Ensuring compliance can involve changes to the design of products, so it is important that companies ‘new’ to the directive get ahead now.
The BSI Kitemark for RoHS awareness and implementation guides you through the compliance process, and provides the basis for a robust system that protects the long-term interests of your business.
Recognised by the National Weights and Measures Laboratory, the UK RoHS enforcement agency, the BSI Kitemark will minimise legal and compliance risks. It provides:
- Gap analysis and RoHS readiness reports
- Route to focused testing based on risk
- RoHS awareness training
- Licence to use the RoHS Kitemark™
Key elements
The Kitemark scheme includes:
- Assessments using BS EN 50581:2012
- Ongoing analysis, including focused, risk-based testing
- Continual assessment: audits and certification are repeated every six months or so
Key benefits
The Kitemark:
- Demonstrates compliance to the UK RoHS enforcement agency
- Demonstrates best practice to UK and European industry
- Builds confidence throughout the supply chain
- Reduces overall RoHS testing costs
- Helps sell products and increase profits
- Provides certification by a trusted, independent body
Bespoke services
BSI also offers a range of bespoke RoHS services, including:
- Tailored training
- Supply-chain reviews and assessments
- RoHS material testing
