Several of these Directives are currently being amended so that they are consistent in their definitions; the obligations they impose, their traceability requirements, their conformity assessment bodies and procedures, their CE marking and so on.

The safety of AMDEA Members’ products is covered by the Low Voltage Directive, Gas Appliances Directive,  Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive; the General Product Safety Directive (GPSD) and, in some cases, the Pressure Equipment Directive and the Machinery Directive, to name but a few.  All these Directives are transposed into UK legislation with national market surveillance and national enforcement regimes.

The Low Voltage Directive covers all electrical equipment designed for use within a certain voltage rating (basically mains-powered products).  It deals with risks arising from the use of electrical equipment, including electrical, mechanical, thermal, and chemical risks (such as any emission of hazardous substances) and the effect on health of radiation, noise, and vibration, and even some ergonomic aspects.

The Gas Appliances Directive applies to domestic and commercial gas appliances used for cooking, heating and hot water production (also refrigeration, lighting and washing, though these days we don’t often see gas used for lighting or refrigeration).

The Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive limits the electromagnetic emissions of equipment to ensure that it does not disturb radio and telecommunication or the mains network as well as other equipment. The Directive also seeks to ensure that there is no interference to the equipment in situ (eg from radio emissions, disturbances on the mains supply network, etc).

The General Product Safety Directive applies to all non-food consumer products including electrical products that fall outside the voltage limits of the LVD such as battery-powered products. The Low Voltage Directive covers all mains-powered products (commercial and domestic) but the product recall requirements applying to consumer goods are covered by the GPSD.

The Machinery Directive relates to commercial machinery but if such equipment is used in a domestic environment it is still covered by this legislation.

Each EU Member State has its own legislation to transpose these Directives.  For instance the UK has the Low Voltage Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994, which for domestic appliances is enforced by Local Authority Trading Standards.

Underpinning the legislation are standards.  Usually agreed internationally, or at European level, standards are not legislative acts.  However, they are used to support legislation, either by being specifically referred to by legislation or as a way to demonstrate compliance.

Of the many standards that apply to domestic appliances, over 100 relate to safety issues.  They tend to be product specific such as The Household and Similar Electrical Appliances. Safety. Particular requirements for stationary cooking ranges, hobs, ovens and similar appliances.  They also include directions for testing products to see that they meet the requirements.

Safety standards have been evolving for many decades but there always seems to be something new to consider. 

One of the key aspects currently preoccupying the relevant standards committees is danger to vulnerable persons, ie the young, the elderly and the disabled. For instance, this applies to the standards limits for the maximum permissible temperature of ‘accessible surfaces’ such as the outside of an oven or toaster. 

There are concerns that for small children and frail elderly or less mobile users the risk of burns is greater because they have more sensitive skin and/or would spend longer in contact with a hot surface because they are less mobile.  The question then is how low the temperature limit can be set without impairing the function of the appliance or making it too expensive to manufacture.

There is often quite a fanfare about new safety requirements, often accompanied by criticism that ‘health and safety’ is an over-regulated area. But behind the scenes a host of standards committee members across the world, from various sections of society, are labouring to achieve a balance between the desired function of an appliance and the safety of the user.