Country- and industry-specific regulations
| CE: Conformité Européenne If you import a product which falls within the scope of one or more of the New Approach Directives and wish to place your product on the market in any of the member states of the European Economic Area (EEA), then you must apply for CE marking. We have already done this for most of our products. By affixing the CE mark, the manufacturer or its authorized representative placing the product on the market claims that the item meets all the “essential requirements for protection of health and safety” of the relevant European Directives. This is also called CE Conformity. For most products on our website the relevant EC Directives for CE marking are: - Low Voltage (LVD): 2006/95/EC - Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC): 2004/108/EC The EC Directives define the “essential requirements” for protection of health and safety that's goods must meet when they are placed on the market. The European standard bodies have the task of drawing up the corresponding technical specifications which will provide a presumption of conformity with the “essential requirements”. To proof that the product meets all the “essential requirements” for protection of health and safety, RKB Global utilizes external test houses in Shenzhen-China who apply the European Standards (also called EN standards) for the relevant EC Directives. This way you can be reassured about the credibility of the CE marking on our products. Technical documentation consists of the CE technical file and the Declaration of Conformity (DoC). An example of a DoC can be downloaded here. (The document will be updated in case new standards or major technical changes of the product take place) All electrical and electronic products sold around the world must demonstrate that they function according to existing electrical safety regulations and standards. These standards and regulations differ from country to country. Our products have also been tested to a variety of UL/ANSI standards applicable in the United States and other countries. An example of a DoC can be downloaded here. RoHS/WEEE The European Commission has issued two directives for the waste management and recycling phases of electrical and electronic equipment: RoHS and WEEE. The RoHS Directive (2002/95/EC) stands for “the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment”. The following hazardous substances exceeding agreed levels stated in the directive will not be allowed in the manufacture of these products being shipped into the European Union: Cadmium, Lead, Mercury, Hexavalent Chromium, Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDE), and Polybrominated Biphenyls (PBB). RKB Global ensures that all products that require RoHS compliance for their market do not contain any non-compliant parts. The incoming material is 100% tested by an XRF RoHS analyser, and the staff is trained the new, acceptable materials and how they are used in production. An example of a Declaration of Conformity can be downloaded here. The WEEE Directive (2002/96/EC) stands for “Waste Electric and Electronic Equipment”. It is developed to prevent electrical and electronic equipment waste, and to encourage the reuse, recycling, and other forms of recovery of such wastes in order to reduce overall waste. As an environmentally responsible supplier, RKB Global offers their customers the option of returning any product or packaging, at their expense, for disposal. In addition, we can offer services such as registration for your national WEEE compliance scheme. REACH(CE) Another important regulation set by the European Community applies to chemicals and their safe use. The REACH Directive (EC 1907/2006) stands for “Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemical substances”. The law entered into force on 1 June 2007. The aim of REACH is to improve the protection of human health and the environment through the better and earlier identification of the intrinsic properties of chemical substances. It covers a wide range of chemical substances including potentially toxic substances such as phthalates or brominated flame retardants. TSD(CE) The “Toy Safety Directive” (2009/48/EC) applies to toys defined as "products designed or intended, whether or not exclusively, for use in play by children under 14 years of age". The toy safety directive provides for harmonized EU-wide standards on physical and mechanical properties, flammability, chemical properties, and electrical properties. CPSIA The “Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act” (CPSIA) of 2008 (PUBLIC LAW 110–314) is a United States Government law restricting levels of hazardous materials in products imported or made within the US, especially those for children. Primarily, CPSIA regulations enforce rigorous restrictions on phthalates (chemicals used to soften plastic) in children's toys and lead restrictions for children's products. |