PD IEC TR 62476 pdf download – Guidance for evaluation of products with respect to substance-use restrictions in electrical and electronic products
Each producer in the supply chain is responsible for defining his own evaluation methods foreach product or product category. The identification of products included in a productcategory is the responsibility of the producer based on his knowledge of the product line.
RSC is specific to a producer. It may be part of an established quality management system(e.g. Iso 9001) or ‘environmental management system (e.g. isO ‘14001) or equivalentmanagement system. It may also be an independent set of documented procedures and theirrecords. A producer relying on outsourced manufacturing needs to ensure that theiroutsourced manufacturing operations also have effective RSC.Annex A provides examples ofRSC requirements in relation to internationally recognized management systems.
The application of evaluation strategies and methods can be unique for every product,butsuch strategies should be based on the producer’s policy,product planning and design andtechnical documentation. Therefore，the selection or definition of evaluation methods forproduct materials, parts and/or sub-assemblies should be based on the producer’s experienceor technical judgment of the likelihood that a restricted substance may be present in either thesupply chain or in internal product operations.
Finally,in order to declare that the requirements are met，the producer can provide a”producer self-declaration”. If further information is needed, technical documentation can beprovided.
5Restricted substance controls (RsC) considerations
5.1 Product planning and design considerations
The producer top management should ensure that a documented strategy on the control ofrestricted substances is defined and appropriate for the purpose of the organization. Aproducer’s RSC strategy may be detailed and targeted towards specific product lines orspecific environmental regulations，or more general and broader to cover multiple productlines and operations in multiple geographical areas covering multiple environmentalregulations, as appropriate to the organization.
As a first step,it is important to develop a list of restricted substances.Documentedevaluation methods for different types of materials based on common knowledge or expertcompetence should be in place for the producer and its suppliers. There should be evidencethat procedures are being followed and that materials declarations or other types of technicaldocumentation have been assessed to confirm completeness and accuracy.
A framework for evaluation of a product may lever an environmentally conscious design (ECD)process such as defined by lEC 62430 and as it relates to substance use restrictions.Forexample, the IEC 62430 standard specifies that the ECD process includes defined steps suchas;
a) analysis of the regulatory and stakeholders’ environmental requirements;
b) identification and evaluation of environmental aspects and corresponding impacts;c)product planning, design and development;
d) review and continual improvement;
e) sharing ECD information in the supply chain.
At the product planning and design stage,the following information should be available:
restricted substance requirements (regulatory, customer or other requirements);
those aspects that have,or can have，significant impacts on the restricted substancecontent in products during manufacturing or assembly;
identification of product categories;
. definition of organizational systems,roles and responsibilities for implementation of
RSC;
. appropriate specification from planning and design functions to give appropriate inputs
to the procurement functions with regard to supplier RSC;
confirmation of an effective process for the evaluation and selection of parts andmaterials;
. a review of operational process requirements (e.g. lead and lead-free process line
segregation).
NOTE Annex A provides complementary guidance.5.2Sources of informationldata
5.2.1Data selection strategy
To ensure cost-effective flow of information, the producer should determine the likelihood ofrestricted substances being present for every material, part and sub-assembly included in theproduct.
Product evaluation for restricted substances may be based on a combination of severalsources of information:
supplier information;analytical testing;
manufacturing and assembling operations，including incoming supply，process anddelivery control.
lt may not be possible or necessary to directly test every material, part and sub-assembly of agiven product and test results only represent the status of the tested sample.
A combination of these information sources is generally needed.The likelihood of restrictedsubstances being present in the product should be used to select the type and level oftechnical documentation that is required to confirm that restricted substance requirements aremet.
The reasons for selecting the information sources should be documented and up to date.
5.2.2supplier information
For complex products,collection of supplier information avoids costly and repetitive testing ofmaterials， parts and sub-assemblies. Collection of supplier information should follow industrystandards, where available, to minimize supply chain impact and ensure consistent and cost-effective flow of information throughout the supply chain.
PD IEC TR 62476 pdf download – Guidance for evaluation of products with respect to substance-use restrictions in electrical and electronic products
