Over the years we have had a lot of experience with mapping and fulfilling the requirements for CE marking, and with the whole process in general, so we decided to put it all under a separate service. So, from November this year, this service will be part of our range of services.
What is CE conformity?
Many products on the European market are required to have the CE marking. By affixing the CE marking to a product, the manufacturer (or the person who places the product on the market) declares that the product conforms to the requirements laid down for it. These are mainly related to compliance with various regulations and the existence of proper documentation. In general, the regulations and the requirements deriving from them relate to safety. It is important to note here that hazards and risks to both humans and the environment must be taken into account.
Why is this important?
The affixing of the CE marking on a product, and in particular the requirements to comply with it, is important for both manufacturers and purchasers. For both, the CE marking helps to confirm that the product is safe enough and complies with all applicable regulations. For manufacturers, it is important for market access, as without the CE marking many products cannot be sold in the European Economic Area. In addition, CE marking helps to minimise the risk of legal problems, making it essential not only for responsible business practices, but also for an organisation’s reputation and customer satisfaction.
How can Revismo help you?
- Finding out if you need CE marking
It would be incorrect to think that all products on the European market require CE marking. If the CE marking is not required for a particular product, it is a criminal offence to affix it to the product. Examples include some toys, handicrafts, furniture, etc., which are not allowed to bear the CE marking. It is important that each product is analysed separately. For example, furniture does not generally require a CE marking, but for furniture items that use electrical power, a CE marking may be mandatory.
- Mapping of regulations and requirements that apply to the product
Often the most difficult part is determining the correct product classification. For example, is the manufacturer selling a forklift or a part of a forklift that will one day become a forklift? Does the non-supply and later addition of bushings mean that our customer is selling the parts of a forklift, not the forklift? Depending on the classification, the list of applicable regulations and the resulting CE marking requirements is very different.
- Compliance checks
Once the applicable regulations have been established, it is necessary to check that the product complies with them. Too often we see situations where the applicable regulations have been identified for the customer, but the product itself does not comply with them. If necessary, Revismo can also help to bring the product into compliance, for example by designing the necessary add-ons or modifying the product design.
- Preparing documentation
Once the product has been brought into conformity with the applicable regulations, it must be properly documented. Such documentation could be, for example, a CE declaration of conformity, a risk analysis, instructions for use or other. The documentation required will depend largely on the field and nature of the product and will be directly derived from the applicable regulation.
Over the years, we have come across a number of cases where, after a product has been placed on the market, it turns out not to comply with the applicable requirements. In such a situation, unfortunately, the position of the manufacturer is very complex and the damage caused can be very high; whereas the cost of previously identifying and complying with the requirements would have been very small in comparison. We therefore encourage manufacturers to take the issue of CE marking and related requirements seriously.
Read more here:
https://ttja.ee/en/business-client/safety/ce-marking
https://europa.eu/youreurope/business/product-requirements/labels-markings/ce-marking/index_en.htm
