RoHS
RoHS certification logo
This logo is displayed by organizations that offer compliance with RoHS.
RoHS - Restriction of Hazardous Substances
To protect the health and safety of the population and environment, the European Union enacted a set of guidelines called the Restriction of Hazardous Substances or RoHS. Established in 2006, RoHS prohibits the use of hazardous materials in products and services. These restricted materials pollute the environment, contaminate landfills, and pose a threat in terms of occupational exposure during manufacturing and recycling. Proper disposal of products containing these contaminates is closely monitored by local environmental agencies during program participation.
RoHS restricted materials:
- lead (Pb)
- mercury (Hg)
- cadmium (Cd)
- hexavalent chromium (CrVI)
- polybrominated biphenyls (PBB)
- polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE)
While predominantly used in the manufacture of electrical and electronic products, the implications of RoHS extend to all components, sub-assemblies, and packaging of products containing these restricted materials.
Although the United States has not adopted a federal RoHS mandate, California leads nearly 25 states including Minnesota, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, Tennessee, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin in enacting local legislation. Internationally, Korea, Japan, China, Norway, Australia, Canada, and Taiwan have adapted programs to comply with the RoHS initiative. Across the US, companies are self- electing compliance to better compete in a global market.
Certification compliance requires engineering and design processes to be complete with detailed documentation including:
- Master Materials List for BOM (Bill of Materials) assessment
- Cataloging of materials, finishes, and additives
- Compliance assessment of materials, finishes, and additives
- Traceability for compliant materials back to mechanical drawings
- Material declarations
- Materials reference data from component suppliers, sub assemblers, and packagers
- Contact information of supplier representatives
The governing body of the program is the United Kingdom Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (BERR). The National Weights and Measures Laboratory (NWML) is the UK Enforcement Authority for the program. Evaluation and certification can be achieved through independent agencies. Intertek (intertek-etlsemko.com) offers testing, inspection and certification, globally.
