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RoHS, WEEE & REACH FAQ
FAQ on RoHS and WEEE
This FAQ is mainly intended to answer customers' and product end-user questions about the RoHS and WEEE Regulations and how products are affected.
Part 1 – RoHS
- Q. What is RoHS?
- Q. What are the six substances
- Q. When did the Regulations come into force?
- Q. Are all products affected?
- Q. Are all relevant products now RoHS-compliant?
- Q. Do you have a RoHS compliance statement or certificate?
Part 2 – WEEE
- Q. What is WEEE?
- Q. When did it come into force?
- Q. What's the WEEE marking?
- Q. How are our products affected?
- Q. Will you be accepting waste products back?
Part 3 – REACH
- Q. What is REACH
- Q. When did it come into force?
- Q. Which products are covered by the REACH legislation?
- Q. How does this affect Blake products?
- Q. How is REACH compliance shown on the product?
Part 1 - RoHS
Q. What is RoHS?
A. RoHS (usually pronounced as "rosh" or "roz") stands for the "Restriction of Hazardous Substances" and is a European Union initiative to reduce the level of certain toxic substances entering the waste stream. The RoHS directive, restricts the use of ten specific substances formerly used in electrical and electronic equipment. The directive is implemented in the UK employing "The Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2011" ( 2011⁄65⁄EU) Amendment RoHS3 (EU 2015⁄863)
Q. What are the ten substances?
A. The following table shows the restricted substances and their maximum allowed concentrations in each homogenous part of a product.
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Q. When did the Regulations come into force?
A. The UK RoHS Regulations took effect from 1st July 2006.
Q. Are all products affected?
A. No. Products which are used only as component parts of a fixed installation in a building and which have no direct function away from the installation are not required to comply with the RoHS regulations. Other equipment, such as amplifiers, which can be used independently of a fixed installation, falls into Category 4 of the regulations – consumer equipment – and is thus covered by the legislation.
A. Yes. In fact all product imported since March 2006, including the fixed installation items, are certified fully compliant.
Q. How do you ensure that imported products comply?
A. We have built long-term close working relationships with Far-Eastern suppliers. Our principal supplier takes RoHS compliance seriously and has an active materials testing programme using their X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer facilities. The manufacturer's facilities in Taiwan and China operate under quality and environmental management systems independently certified to ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 by SGS United Kingdom Ltd. Component and materials selection and procurement procedures ensure that only RoHS-compliant materials are used. Where necessary, manufacturing processes have been checked during 2019-20 for RoHS-compliant production (e.g. lead-free soldering processes).
we have also established contact with an XRF test facility in the UK and have undertaken finished product testing.
Each shipment of offshore manufactured product, where relevant, is accompanied by a certificate of conformity to the RoHS concentration limits. All products are traceable to a week of manufacture, and the UK landed date through our 5-digit product batch coding system.
Q. Do you have a RoHS compliance statement or certificate?
A. Yes - see below.
The Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS 2015⁄863) - Commonly known as RoHS 3
This statement certifies that Blake UK Limited and products sold under the brand Blake Aerials, Blake UK, and Proception have taken reasonable steps and exercised due diligence to ensure that their relevant new electrical and electronic equipment put on the market on or after 19th July 2019 complies with Regulation 10 of the above regulations.
Relevant products
Relevant products are those which carry the crossed-out wheelie bin symbol (as required by the WEEE directive). Products used only as component parts of a large-scale fixed installation and with no direct function away from the installation are not required to comply with the RoHS regulations.
CE Marking
Relevant products also carry the CE mark, as required by Regulation 16 of the above regulations.
Origin and manufacturing facilities
The origin of relevant products in China. The principal manufacturing facility operates under quality and environmental management systems independently certified to ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001:2015 by SGS United Kingdom Ltd. X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) facilities are available at the factory for RoHS compliance testing of incoming materials and finished assemblies.
Traceability
All products is traceable to a week of manufacture and UK landed date through our 5-digit product batch coding system. An individual certificate of conformity to the RoHS concentration limits accompanies each shipment of Far-Eastern manufactured products.
Enquiries
Customers' enquiries relating to RoHS compliance of products should be made by e-mail to support@blake-uk.com
Part 2 – WEEE
Q. What is WEEE?
A. WEEE stands for "Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment" and is a European Union initiative to reduce the amount of unwanted electrical and electronic equipment being dumped in landfill tips. In particular, the WEEE directive makes equipment producers responsible for the cost of collecting, processing and recycling waste and sets recycling targets.
Q. When did it come into force?
A. WEEE legislation was implemented in 2007.
Q. What's the WEEE marking?
A. The crossed-out wheelie bin symbol, which has been required since August 2005, indicates equipment that should not be disposed of with general household waste. The horizontal bar underneath the bin indicates items which were first placed on the market after August 2005. Some manufacturers may use a date code instead of this bar.
Q. How are our products affected?
A. Some products are within the scope of the WEEE legislation and these already carry the marking. Other products that are used only as component parts of a fixed installation in a building and have no direct function away from the installation are expected to be outside the scope of the WEEE legislation. Amplifiers that can be used independently of fixed installations fall into Category 4 – consumer equipment – and are expected to be within the scope of WEEE.
Q. Will you be accepting waste products back?
A. Not directly. We expect to meet its legal WEEE obligations through membership of an approved compliance scheme. Collection facilities for WEEE will be established at local authority waste facilities and may be offered by some retailers and wholesalers.
PART 3 – REACH
Q. What is REACH
A. REACH stands for the “Regulation, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals”. REACH aims to address the production and use of chemical substances and their potential impacts on human health and the environment. REACH requires all companies manufacturing or importing chemical substances into the European Union in quantities of one tonne or more per year to register these substances with the European Chemical Agency (ECHA). Manufacturers, importers and their customers must communicate information on chemicals throughout the supply chain to be aware of information relating to the health and safety of the products supplied.
Q. When did it come into force?
A. Reach legislation was introduced in December 2006.Q. Which products are covered by the REACH legislation?
A. The purpose of this Regulation is to ensure a high level of protection of human health and the environment, including the promotion of alternative methods for the assessment of hazards of substances, as well as the free circulation of substances on the internal market while enhancing competitiveness and innovation. Some of the chemicals that are of “very high concern” include:
- Carcinogens
- Mutagens
- Reproduction toxins
- Persistent, bio-accumulative, and toxic chemicals
Q. How does this effect Blake's products?
A. Blake UK products are all required to comply with REACH, and Blake UK has produced a compliance declaration to this effect. See here
Q. How is REACH compliance shown on the product?
A. Reach compliance is encompassed in the CE mark on Blake UK products.