Overview of RoHS Certification

Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) derived specifically for the European Union is the policy that revolves around handling hazardous materials, including the manufacturing process and disposal of hazardous substances. But, due to an increase in the use of toxic substances during the production process and disregard of hazardous substances by the manufacturers, many countries across the world, including India, have adopted the same mandate for every EEE business owner. RoHS is also named Directive 2002/95/EC.

The constant increase in the demand and production of Electrical and Electronic Equipment in India, in turn, has resulted in an increase in Hazardous waste, which is detrimental to the environment as well as human health. Therefore, to address this issue, the governmental authorities (The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate and Change) decided to adopt the RoHS directive, which is mandatory for every Electrical and Electronic Equipment to acquire for fulfilling their Extended Producers’ Responsibility under E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016. The Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive was implemented on July 1, 2006, with the aim of prohibiting the use of harmful substances.

The Restriction of Harmful Substances (RoHS) norms imposed on every EEE Producers’ and Importers depend upon the size of the company and imported item.

The substances that are banned under Restriction of Hazardous Substance are: -

• Polybrominated biphenyls
• Polybrominated diphenyl ethers
• Cadmium
• Lead
• Mercury
• Hexavalent Chromium

Mandate to Obtain RoHS Certification

RoHS Compliance Certification indicates that the particular Electric and Electronic Equipment has been checked for ten hazardous and prohibitive substances by the agency (private or governmental). Some of the substances which are prohibited in Electric and Electronic Equipment by RoHS directives are: -

• Mercury
• Hexavalent Chromium
• Polybrominated biphenyls
• Polybrominated diphenyl ethers
• Cadmium
• Lead

Other Exempted items under RoHS directives

• Radioactive Waste
• Products that do not seek power to perform their function
• Products that support manufacturing and service firms that lack a sizeable footprint, as defined by the MSME Act, 2006
• Military and National Defence Products
• Sub-assembly or Component falling under the exempted product category.
• Batteries

Documents required for acquiring RoHS Certification

1. Bill of Materials,
2. Specification/compliance certificates from all suppliers.
3. Materials declarations,
4. Technical File,
5. Test reports,
6. Assembly drawings,

Apart from these documents, the technical file must also contain:-

1. Generic product description and information related to design structure.
2. Observations on materials, parts, and subassemblies.
3. Risk evaluation of materials, segments, and subassemblies.
4. Record of Systematize standards, specifications, and compliance procedures.
5. Documentation related to manufacturing

Procedure for acquiring the RoHS Certification

The process of RoHS certification and authorisation is regulated by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The process includes

RoHS and WEEE

Restriction of Hazardous Substance (RoHS) and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment directives (WEEE), although applicable to the same products, have different regulations and rules which differ from country to country. WEEE also Directive 2002/96/EC handles the treatment, recovery, recycling and management of Electric and Electronic Equipment which aims to better the design of the electronic product into more sustainable and environment-friendly products. Whereas RoHS manage the hazardous substances used to produce electrical and Electronic equipment.

RoHS is also required under Extended Producers’ Responsibility. Before EPR authorisation is applied before Central Pollution Control Board, the applicant must file a declaration on RoHS compliances in EPR Action Plan. The applicant must obtain a RoHS certificate before drafting the Extended Producers’ Responsibility Plan.

Companies of Electronic devices, Sub-assemblies or metal industries, including metal plating, anodising and chromatin, are more like to get affected by RoHS Certification.

The RoHS certificate is valid for five years. Re-certification is required if numerous modifications are made to the products' raw materials, designs, or sourcing practices.

The Manufacturer have to analyse the following procedures for RoHS implementation in industries:

• Risk assessment along the process chain
• examining each step of the process
• Keep an eye out for improper operations
• Eliminate the reasons to lower risk
• examining the procedure
• Participation of Employees
• assessing the system's performance

Some of the basic principles of Restriction of Hazardous Substance: -

• Packaging and batteries are separately regulated and do not fall within the scope of RoHS
• Strategical equipment used for military and national defence purposes are both excluded from this scope.
• Only specific applications qualify for exemptions, such as lead in some glasses or ceramic or metal alloys in specific electronic components.

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