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RoHS - Scope of application 
What substances are covered by RoHS?
The hazardous substances under the scope of RoHS are:
- lead (Pb)
- cadmium (Cd)
- mercury (Hg)
- hexavalent chromium (CrVI)
- polybrominated biphenyl (PBB), a flame retardant
- polybrominated diphenyl (PBDE), a flame retardant
The plan is to set levels expressed as percentage by weight of homogeneous material. The ceiling for all the substances is 0.1% except for cadmium, limited to 0.01%. Homogeneous material is the smallest unit the product can be broken down into.
Who is concerned by RoHS?
Companies that must comply with the RoHS directive are:
- Companies manufacturing and selling Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) under their own brand,
- Companies reselling under their own brand EEE made by other manufacturers,
- Companies importing or exporting EEE on a professional basis.
What's the scope of RoHS?
RoHS applies to low voltage electrical and electronic devices, i.e. less than 1000V a.c. or less than 1500V d.c., listed in appendix 1A to directive 2002/96/CE on WEEE.
- 1. Large household appliances(detail)
- 2. Small household appliances (detail)
- 3. IT and telecommunications equipment (detail)
- 4. Consumer equipment (detail)
- 5. Lighting equipment (detail)
- 6.
Electrical and electronic tools
(with the exception of large-scale stationary industrial tools) (detail) - 7. Toys, leisure and sports equipment (detail)
- 10. Automatic dispensers (detail)
What is currently outside the scope of RoHS?
- 1- medium voltage electrical and electronic devices
- 2- spare parts to repair electrical and electronic devices made before 1 July 2006
- 3- arms, munitions and war material
- 4- other electrical and electronic equipment listed in appendix 1A to directive 2002/96/CE:
- 8- Medical devices
- 9- Monitoring and control instruments
These will be included at a later date
- 5- Large-scale stationary industrial tools
- 6- Exempted devices listed in the appendix to directive 2002/95/CE
- Mercury in certain lamps - Lead in the glass of cathode ray tubes and fluorescent tubes, in certain steels,
aluminum, and copper alloys
- Lead in servers and storage systems (until 2010)
- Lead in certain high melting temperature type solders
- Lead in solders for network infrastructure equipment
- Lead in certain electronic ceramic parts
- Cadmium plating less than 0.01% by weight
- Hexavalent chromium in cooling systems