Safety Regulations for Electrical & Electronic quipment

Table of contents

1. REACH/RoHS conformity
2. The REACH Regulation
3. The RoHS Directive
4. The Tested Safety quality seal

REACH/RoHS conformity

Manufacturers and importers of electrical and electronic equipment should know what REACH/RoHS compliance is all about. Therefore, the first step is to clarify what the two abbreviations stand for before moving on to the respective description:

• RoHS = “Restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment.” Shorter: “Restriction of certain hazardous substances”.
• REACH = “Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals.

The REACH Regulation

The REACH system is based on the principle of a self-reliant industry. No data, no market: According to this principle, only registered chemical substances may be put into circulation. Each substance requires its own registration number.

The most important facts about the REACH regulation at a glance

The RoHS Directive

The RoHS Directive was introduced to minimize the components in electrical or electronic equipment that are hazardous to health and the environment. It regulates the use and placing on the market of the so-called hazardous substances.

In this context, a whole series of measures must be taken:

• Limit particularly problematic toxic substances to a mass fraction of no more than 0.1 percent. These include lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE). The substance cadmium must be limited to a maximum mass fraction of 0.01 percent.
• Replace leaded soldering with unleaded soldering.
• Ban toxic flame retardants in the manufacture of cable insulation.
• Introduce and promote equivalent substitutes where possible.
• Manufacture electrical components that are themselves free of hazardous substances.

As a result, many production processes that were once quite common are no longer permitted.

The most important facts about the RoHS Directive at a glance

The Tested Safety quality seal

The Tested Safety quality seal, or GS for short, enables consumers to recognize product safety at first glance. The label indicates that the ready-to-use product has been inspected by neutral experts and found to be safe.

The GS mark creates trust by certifying the following requirements of Section 21 of the German Product Safety Act (ProdSG):

• DIN standards
• European standards
• other generally recognized rules of technology