RoHS (Restrictions on Hazardous Substances) regulations are designed to make this world a safer place for us, for electronic workers, and for future generations. |
Many countries throughout the world have implemented these regulations, some more effectively than others. The Directive on the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment 2002/95/EC was adopted in February 2003 by the European Union. The RoHS directive took effect in July 2006, and is required to be enforced and become law in each member state.
The basic principle is to minimize or remove altogether the use of the following six substances:
- Lead
- Mercury
- Cadmium
- Hexavalent chromium (chromium xxx or Cr6+)
- Polybrominated biphenyls (PBB)
- Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE)
By weight, the permitted amount of each substance is 0.1% with the exception of Cadmium where the amount is set to just 0.01%.
However, there are some exemptions for large scale stationary industrial tools, Military and National Security, and so on.
For more detailed information, follow the links on our RoHS Links page which will direct you to the full text of the regulations as well as plain english sources of guidance.