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Low Voltage Directive (LVD) 73/23/EEC The Low
Voltage Directive is an EU Product Directive.
Products
within the scope of the Directive must comply at the first "putting
on the market" or "putting into service" in EEA.
Thereafter the Directives carry no bearing on the product's operation
and maintenance. (Individual national regulations apply for the
operation and maintenance phases). Prior to
the LV Directive each EU member state had its own regime for regulating
such equipment. Each was based upon a national perception of safety hazards.
The Low Voltage Directive creates a single legal structure within which
goods can be sold on the entire EU market without having to submit to
a multitude of national approval regimes. When does the LVD come into force?The Directive, in its original form, was in force in 1973 but it was amended to bring it in line with other New and Global Approach Directives in 1997. This later edition has been mandatory since 1 January 1997. The LVD Directive simply requires products to have protection against
The detailed technical requirements are not specified in the Directive, but in harmonised standards. Conformity
with harmonised standards "guarantees" conformity with the Directive.
Their application, however, is not mandatory. If harmonised standards
are not suited to a specific product, any alternative standard or solution
may be applied if it can be shown to carry equivalent safety. It is, however,
difficult to demonstrate equivalent safety. One solution to this problem
is CEproof’s HAZproofTM service. |
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Telephone: UK - 0871 2884 987; Elsewhere +44 20 8133 0205 Fax +44 (0)700 341 8581 | enquiries@ceproof.com |
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