This month’s ETO X letter covered complex issues around testing and regulation in the industry. We will publish a follow-up industry response next month; for now, here is what we have uncovered in our own research.
Low voltage (DC) wireless devices are now required to be safety tested in accordance with both the existing R&TTE Directive and the new Radio Equipment Directive (RED), Superyacht Technology News has learnt from product certification services provider G&M Compliance.
Now, any wireless devices intended for sale in Europe must comply with the Low Voltage Directive (LVD) regardless of the input voltage.
Article 3(1a) of the RED states:
“Radio equipment shall be constructed so as to ensure: (a) the protection of health and safety of persons and of domestic animals and the protection of property, including the objectives with respect to safety requirements set out in Directive 2014/35/EU (LVD), but with no voltage limit applying.”
This means that products which previously fell out of the scope of the LVD because they were battery powered or powered from an external power supply, now fall under the LVD’s requirements because of the ruling of the RED/R&TTE, which removes the voltage floor from the scope.
The Radio Equipment Directive (RED) came into effect June 2016 and became mandatory in June 2017, replacing the R&TTE Directive. Although this increased product testing and compliance effects radio communication systems rather than lighting, it is evidence of how the superyacht industry is realising the benefits of better regulation. Hopefully this sentiment will quickly spread to other technology sectors, meaning in the future we experience less interference between all products onboard.
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