Conformity Magazine - December 2008 - (Page 24)

Emerging Issues in Standards China RoHS: One Year and Counting by Joel Pekay, Intertek t has been a little over a year and a half since China’s Administrative Measure on the Control of Pollution Caused by Electronic Information Products (China RoHS) legislation took effect. Earlier this year, we discussed the changes that RoHS regulations in the European Union (EU) have brought about. But, we must now ask ourselves if China RoHS has brought about similar changes? Has the legislation been effective in its objectives? Has it met all of its claims? Have China’s requirements influenced other countries? Some Background The best way to analyze success is to begin with the original objectives of the Chinese regulators, which were to: • Limit environmental contamination; • Understand dangerous substances in electrical/electronic products for future enforcement. China’s RoHS regulations work to achieve these objectives through a two-step process to control hazardous substances. The first step is the self-declaration of hazardous substance information in the electronic information product. The second step is to closely monitor the products listed in the Catalogue, ensuring that hazardous substances are replaced or maintained within limits, and then have the product pass obligatory Chinese certification to enter into the market. 2 Conformity DeCember 2008 © Stephen Coburn | Dreamstime.com Cobur I In March 2007 when China RoHS took effect, we saw many companies begin their compliance efforts based on the perception that China would strongly enforce its legislation. Products ranging from laptop computers and aftermarket batteries to headphone sleeves were analyzed for their levels of lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium, cadmium, polybrominated biphenyls, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers. Once levels of the hazardous substances were determined, a determination of presence of hazardous substances was made. Then, the appropriate markings were applied, with green signifying a product which does not contain hazardous substances, and orange signifying a product which contains hazardous substances. Further, the orange mark includes the expected safe use period of the product, thereby communicating important information to buyers and recyclers. When the orange mark was applied, supporting tables were created and included in literature and packaging. The tables Figure 1 http://www.Dreamstime.com

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Conformity Magazine - December 2008 Contents Editor's Note FCC Warns Regulatory Fee Payers About Potential "Phishing" Commission Prowls the Web to Enforce Its Regulations First DTV Rollout Initiated in Wilmington, NC New Standards List Released for the EU's Directive on the Safety of Toys ESD Association Call for Papers ESDA. JEDEC Announce Standards Development Cooperation Commission Releases Data on Local Telephone Competition The Future of ESD Testing ESD Open Forum Emerging Issues in Standards: China RoHS: One Year and Counting Challenges in Testing: Revisiting 10-Meter and 3-Meter Radiated Emission Measurements Design Fundamentals: Meeting the Shielding Challenges of Injection-Molded Plastics Focus On...Microwave Absorbers Buyer's Guide FDA Recalls Automated External Defibrillators FDA Revises Guidance on Medical Device Tracking Guidance Document Safety of Passive Implants Released FDA Offers Guidance on Marketing Diagnostic Ultrasound Systems EU Commission Issues Correction on Machinery Directive Standards Other CPSC Actions in the News Product Reviews IEC Standards Update UL Standards Update Looking Back: Items from Past Issues of Conformity Advertisers

Conformity Magazine - December 2008

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