What is the Law regarding selling electrical goods?

[flyingsparks]

I am considering making and selling my own range of lighting products, such as table lamps, so supplied with plugs on.

At work, if someone comes into our shop and wants a lead made up with a plug and a lamp holder, for example, we would do this for them, and PAT test it and sell it to them. Now, I'm guessing this is perfectly OK and within the law, as the parts are all individually CE marked like the flex, the plug, the lampholder, and the person doing to work is suitably qualified.

So if I want to do this myself on the side at home, is there anything stopping me? So long as its PAT tested? And perhaps I had public liabilty insurance?

Interested to hear your thoughts, or point me in the right direction of government advice!

 

[333rocky333]

I was once told the assembled item had to be CE certified after assembly, when CE first came out I read that it would be wrong to fit a CE choke into a fitting, unless the completed repaired fitting was then sent away for CE certification.

 

[stillp]

I suggest you have a look at www.bis.gov.uk/files/file38623.pdf for a start.

 

[SimonH2]

There are many many applicable laws And no I've not much idea what most of them are

In Europe, I believe that all products have to comply with all applicable standards - and carry the right CE marks. How that works with low-volume and one-offs I don't know. CE marking isn't about testing, it's (normally) about design - ie you can design a product, "calculate" that it will meet regs regarding (eg) EMC, slap a CE mark on it and sell it without every having tested a single unit (that's the technical file route). Or you can have a random sample tested (as well as your prototypes/first production units).

Then there's ROHS and related regs - don't forget that lead is more or less banned except for certain narrow exemptions.

And regs (partly EMC) about how much harmonics you can squirt up the mains lead - switch mode PSUs aren't legal without power factor/current waveform correction circuits.

Little things like ... a UK reg that requires all appliances to come with a fitted plug. Whether there's a reg that requires the stupid core colours label that everyone removed as being unsightly I don't know - I suspect there is, or many manufacturers would save the cost of fitting them.

But ultimately, if something goes wrong and the finger of blame points at you - document everything so you can justify why something was done as it was and why it was reasonable to consider it safe. Yes, plan in advance the a**e covering paperwork

You have to wonder how any small business survives these days.

 

[Lukedavidalden]

Really helpful comments here, I don't suppose anyone could help me.

I have a very similar query. I have designed a lamp with a very simple LED based lighting circuit. (10 LEDs, some resistors and a connector) and I plan to buy in a standard transformer that is already CE marked to sell with my product.
Can any of you see a problem with that?
That's in terms of CE marking and the PCB itself?

Any help would be apreciated!

Cheers

Luke

 

[danechip]

Low Voltage Directive (2006/95/EC)
Article 1 states the Directive covers "any equipment designed for use with a voltage rating of between 50 and 1000 V for A.C. and between 75 and 1500 V for D.C, other than the equipment and phenomena listed in Annex II."

If this could be classed as a toy, your separate design would also need the EC badge.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CE_mark

 

[Lukedavidalden]

Low Voltage Directive (2006/95/EC)
Article 1 states the Directive covers "any equipment designed for use with a voltage rating of between 50 and 1000 V for A.C. and between 75 and 1500 V for D.C, other than the equipment and phenomena listed in Annex II."

If this could be classed as a toy, your separate design would also need the EC badge.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CE_mark[/QUOTE]

Thanks for this danechip.
Surely as the output of the CE marked bought in transformer is less than 75v D.C then I wouldn't fall within that category?

Maybe they would argue that as both the transformer and the lamp are being sold as one item, that the whole device should be CE marked (and properly documented)

I was also concerned there may be other directives that apply to open circuitry that I am not aware of? The idea is that this lamp is a 'self build' lamp.

Really interested to hear your thoughts?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Here's a thought - Maplin sell all kinds of electronics kits designed to work at ELV. Have a look at them and see if they bear any certification marks.

 

[securespark]

And perhaps I had public liabilty insurance?

Would you need product liability too?