STANDARDS

ROHS STANDARS

The Directive on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment 2002/95/EC (commonly referred to as the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive orRoHS) was adopted in February 2003 by the European Union.Each European Union member state will adopt its own enforcement and implementation policies using the directive as a guide.

RoHS is often referred to as the lead-free directive, but it restricts the use of the following six substances:

• Lead (Pb)
• Mercury (Hg)
• Cadmium (Cd)
• Hexavalent chromium (Cr⁶⁺)
• Polybrominated biphenyls (PBB)
• Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE)

PBB and PBDE are flame retardants used in several plastics.

The directive applies to equipment as defined by a section of the WEEE directive. The following numeric categories apply:

• Large household appliances.
• Small household appliances.
• IT & Telecommunications equipment (although infrastructure equipment is exempt in some countries)
• Consumer equipment.
• Lighting equipment—including light bulbs.
• Electronic and electrical tools.
• Toys, leisure, and sports equipment.
• Medical devices (exemption removed in July, 2011)
• Monitoring and control instruments (exemption removed in July, 2011)
• Automatic dispensers.
• Semiconductor devices

Summary of ISO 9001:2008

• The quality policy is a formal statement from management, closely linked to the business and marketing plan and to customer needs.
• The quality policy is understood and followed at all levels and by all employees. Each employee works towards measurable objectives.
• The business makes decisions about the quality system based on recorded data.
• The quality system is regularly audited and evaluated for conformance and effectiveness.
• Records show how and where raw materials and products were processed to allow products and problems to be traced to the source.
• The business determines customer requirements.
• The business has created systems for communicating with customers about product information, inquiries, contracts, orders, feedback, and complaints.
• When developing new products, the business plans the stages of development, with appropriate testing at each stage. It tests and documents whether the product meets design requirements, regulatory requirements, and user needs.
• The business regularly reviews performance through internal audits and meetings. The business determines whether the quality system is working and what improvements can be made. It has a documented procedure for internal audits.
• The business deals with past problems and potential problems. It keeps records of these activities and the resulting decisions, and monitors their effectiveness.
• The business has documented procedures for dealing with actual and potential nonconformances (problems involving suppliers, customers, or internal problems).
• The business:
  1. makes sure no one uses a bad product,
  2. determines what to do with a bad product,
  3. deals with the root cause of problems, and
  4. keeps records to use as a tool to improve the system.

SA8000 Elements

The SA8000 Standard is an auditable certification standard based on international workplace norms of International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The SA8000 Standard is available for download in various languages. A summary of the Standard elements follows:

1. Child Labor: No workers under the age of 15; minimum lowered to 14 for countries operating under the ILO Convention 138 developing-country exception; remediation of any child found to be working
2. Forced Labor: No forced labor, including prison or debt bondage labor; no lodging of deposits or identity papers by employers or outside recruiters
3. Health and Safety: Provide a safe and healthy work environment; take steps to prevent injuries; regular health and safety worker training; system to detect threats to health and safety; access to bathrooms and potable water
4. Freedom of Association and Right to Collective Bargaining: Respect the right to form and join trade unions and bargain collectively; where law prohibits these freedoms, facilitate parallel means of association and bargaining
5. Discrimination: No discrimination based on race, caste, origin, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, union or political affiliation, or age; no sexual harassment
6. Discipline: No corporal punishment, mental or physical coercion or verbal abuse
7. Working Hours: Comply with the applicable law but, in any event, no more than 48 hours per week with at least one day off for every seven day period; voluntary overtime paid at a premium rate and not to exceed 12 hours per week on a regular basis; overtime may be mandatory if part of a collective bargaining agreement
8. Compensation: Wages paid for a standard work week must meet the legal and industry standards and be sufficient to meet the basic need of workers and their families; no disciplinary deductions
9. Management Systems: Facilities seeking to gain and maintain certification must go beyond simple compliance to integrate the standard into their management systems and practices.