UKCA Marking &
CE Marking
As of the 1st August 2023 the UK Government has agreed to extend indefinitely the recognition of the CE mark for 18 product regulations that are owned by the Department for Business and Trade. Businesses now have the option to use either the UKCA mark or the CE mark to place products onto the GB market.
UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed) mark is required for all machinery and products being supplied into England, Scotland and Wales. A separate set of rules apply for Northern Ireland.
The directives that were used for CE marking have been adopted into the UK legal system as 'Regulations'. The manufacturer has a responsibility to follow and ensure that their machine complies with the 'Essential Requirements' of these regulations or directives and any others which may apply to the machine.
It is considered a criminal offence where they are not followed and the authorities can take appropriate action.Any machinery being supplied into Europe will need to continue to follow the CE marking requirements and the technical file will need to be held in the EU.
When designing or building machines, machine builders have countless safety standards to follow. There may also be country-specific requirements to meet. If you import a machine from outside the European Union, it must still be CE marked, no matter how old it is!
STEPS TO COMPLIANCE
Directives and
Standards
Starting with identifying the relevant directives and standards is critical to determining the correct route to compliance. Assessing the machine against the Essential Health and Safety Requirements (EHSR’s) of the Machinery Directive, we are able to identify potential hazards and provide guidance on how these need to be controlled to meet the EHSR’s.
Risk
Assessment
Our risk assessment report follows the BS EN ISO 12100 standard and is designed to identify potential hazards on your machinery, and guidance on how to control the hazard. With our extensive experience and expertise, you can trust us to produce a report that is both accurate and thorough.
Validation and
Verification
We provide the necessary verification and validation reports to ensure compliance against the safety related control standard BS EN ISO 13849-1, BS EN 60204-1 electrical control system compliance reports for the control panels, review and guidance on the operating and maintenance manuals to ensure all the requirements are met.
Technical
File
We support with building the technical file and can provide the Declaration of Conformity or Declaration of Incorporation certificate and associated labels that can be fitted to the machine.
Ongoing
Support
Long-term partnerships are at the heart of our safety consultancy's ongoing support. Our team of experts provides practical advice and customised solutions to help you establish and maintain a safe workplace.
With our focus on building long-term relationships, you can be confident that we'll be there for you every step of the way.
Pre UKCA / CE Audit When Purchasing New Machinery
Modifying Your Existing Machines?
In addition to helping end users modify their existing machines or build machines for 'in house use', we assist them with UKCA / CE marking.
The UKCA / CE marking requirement still applies to equipment that is built in-house.
Modifying existing machines can make the 'end user' the 'machine builder.' This can also happen when different manufacturers of machinery are brought together for a 'complex assembly.'
The process is complex and is easy to misunderstand, so having a thorough understanding of the directives, standards and legislation is essential to getting the process right. This is why it is advisable to use a safety consultant who is competent in UKCA marking
The Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) is the best time to complete the pre-UKCA or CE audit.
In this inspection, all guarding and electrical panels will be accessible, allowing access to the almost-complete machine.
When you purchase and use machinery and equipment, you trust the manufacturers to get it right. There are cases, however, where this does not happen and equipment is provided that does not meet legal requirements. As a result, production schedules are adversely affected and further costs may be incurred to comply with new safety regulations.
As an independent third party, we can ensure your needs are met and your machine meets compliance standards. When installed, this will give the end user reassurance that the machine is compliant and is close to being ready to use.
Working With the Best
