UKCA Implementation Rules Changed

Whilst the UKCA marking remains a valid route for placing most goods on the market in Great Britain, on 1 August 2023, the government announced its intention to extend recognition of the CE marking, indefinitely, beyond the original UKCA implementation date of 31 December 2024. These updates apply to the 18 regulations that fall under the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). The government has stated that revised legislation for each of these regulations will be published late in 2024.

The 18 DBT regulations are:

• toys
• pyrotechnics
• recreational craft and personal watercraft
• simple pressure vessels
• electromagnetic compatibility
• ·non-automatic weighing instruments
• measuring instruments
• measuring container bottles
• lifts
• equipment for potentially explosive atmospheres (ATEX)
• radio equipment
• pressure equipment
• personal protective equipment (PPE)
• gas appliances
• machinery
• equipment for use outdoors
• aerosols
• low voltage electrical equipment

This change to the approach to compliance supplements the easement measures announced in November 2022 which were put in place in response to the impact of the pandemic on businesses. Those measures had extended the original UKCA deadline to apply UKCA marks for certain products to demonstrate compliance with product safety regulations from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2024.

The UKCA marking was originally intended to replace the product safety labelling the UK previously used while a member of the EU, such as the CE mark.

The information from DBT is not fully clarified and it is not yet clear if the change will impact other UK regulations controlled by other UK government departments.

Hence keep following Element for further analysis as and when more detail is released.

Element provides testing, certification and approved body services in support of UKCA. Please contact us if you have any questions or need help in meeting your UKCA marking needs.