What is RoHS?
RoHS stands for the "restriction on the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment". It is a European Directive aiming to control the use of certain hazardous substances in the production of new electrical and electronic equipment (EEE). It is a partner directive to the WEEE Directive (Waste in Electrical and Electronic Equipment) that controls the disposal and recycling of EEE. In the UK the RoHS Directive is implemented through the RoHS Regulations (Statutory Instrument SI2008 No. 37).

What are the hazardous substances that are restricted?
RoHS is often referred to as the "lead-free" directive, but it restricts the use of the following 6 substances:

• Lead
• Mercury
• Cadmium
• Chromium VI (Also known as hexavalent chromium)
• PBB
• PBDE

What are the obligations?
The RoHS Regulations place the following requirements upon producers:

Product placed on the market must not contain the hazardous substances above the maximum concentration values.

Producers must prepare documentation to show that their products are compliant before placing them on the market.

If requested, the above documentation must be provided to the RoHS Enforcement Authority within 28 days of the request.

The documentation must continue to be maintained for 4 years after the producer stops placing the product on the market.