Division 27
Electrical Equipment
Requirements for all electrical equipment
These requirements apply to all business activities in this division.
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 — general duties
Enforced by HSE
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
General duty to protect employees and others affected by the manufacturing operation — machinery, electrical work, hazardous substances. Devolved: enforced via the Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978 in NI.
Employers' Liability (Compulsory) Insurance
Enforced by HSE
Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969
Compulsory for any business employing at least one person.
UK GDPR + Data Protection Act 2018
Enforced by ICO
Data Protection Act 2018; UK GDPR (retained EU law)
Applies to any business processing personal data — staff, customers, suppliers. ICO data protection fee unless specifically exempt.
Equality Act 2010 — protected characteristics
Enforced by EHRC
Equality Act 2010
Discrimination, harassment and victimisation prohibited across the protected characteristics, in employment and in the provision of goods and services.
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
Enforced by LOCAL_FIRE_AUTHORITY
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
The responsible person must carry out and maintain a fire risk assessment for factory and workshop premises — a material risk where flammable materials, lithium cells or high-current electrical work are present. Devolved: Fire (Scotland) Act 2005; Fire and Rescue Services (NI) Order 2006.
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH)
Enforced by HSE
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002
Assess and control exposure to hazardous substances used in electrical manufacturing — solder fume, fluxes, solvents, resins, plating chemicals, electrolytes. Devolved: Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003.
Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER)
Enforced by HSE
Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998
Work equipment (presses, winding machines, test rigs, conveyors) must be suitable, maintained and safely guarded; operators trained. Read with the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 where the manufacturer also builds production machinery.
Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992
Enforced by HSE
Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992
Avoid, assess and reduce the risk from manual handling — heavy motors, transformers, battery packs and reels of cable are common loads on the production line. Devolved: Manual Handling Operations Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1992.
General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (GPSR)
Enforced by OPSS
General Product Safety Regulations 2005
Baseline safety duty for consumer products: only safe products may be placed on the market, with traceability, corrective action and notification of unsafe products. Backstop where no more specific sectoral safety regime applies.
Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016
Enforced by OPSS
Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016
Low-voltage electrical equipment (50-1000V AC / 75-1500V DC) must meet the safety objectives, carry the UKCA (or, transitionally, CE) mark, and be supported by a technical file and declaration of conformity. Core product-compliance regime for electrical-equipment makers; enforced by OPSS and local Trading Standards.
Electromagnetic Compatibility Regulations 2016
Enforced by OPSS
Electromagnetic Compatibility Regulations 2016
Apparatus must not generate excessive electromagnetic disturbance and must have adequate immunity; conformity assessment, UKCA marking, technical documentation and a declaration of conformity required before placing on the market.
Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2012 (RoHS)
Enforced by OPSS
Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2012
Restricts lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, PBB, PBDE and four phthalates in electrical and electronic equipment above threshold concentrations; manufacturers must hold technical documentation demonstrating compliance and apply the conformity mark.
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013 (WEEE)
Enforced by ENVIRONMENT_AGENCY
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013
Producers placing EEE on the UK market must register (normally via a producer compliance scheme), report quantities, finance take-back and recycling, and mark products with the crossed-out wheelie-bin symbol. Enforced by the Environment Agency (England), SEPA (Scotland), NRW (Wales) and NIEA (NI).