Is your organisation aware of UKCA regulations?

Brexit was a historic event for Great Britain, therefore, organisations across many sectors will be impacted in a multitude of ways, for decades to come. Following the nations exit from Europe, some regulations have changed, so businesses are now required to change from ‘CE’ marking to ‘UKCA’ marking.

What is UKCA marking?

The Government are key external stakeholders to all organisations and can have a profound impact on operations through the change of laws and legislation. To begin with, the UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed marking) system will directly align with CE marking requirements, however, over a longer period, it is possible that there may be a shift in terms and conditions. PAT Labels Online offers both CE and UKCA labels to make certain of a smooth transition between the different legislations for your organisation.

The United Kingdom introduced ‘designated standards’ following its withdrawal from the European Union during Brexit. If manufacturers follow the designated standards, they can claim ‘presumption of conformity’ with a product’s essential requirements.

A product can include both CE and UKCA markings, providing that both GB and EU legislation is met and both logos can be clearly seen.

When will the UKCA marking come into regulation?

The UKCA marking system came into operation on 1^st January 2021, furthermore, PAT Labels Online’ extensive range of UKCA labels also went live in early 2023 to satisfy the needs of its large array of customers.

The UK Government has provided some flexibility to organisations by extending the cut-off date to which CE marking can be used to prove product conformity. The deadline is now 31^st December 2024, however, it is important for your business to assess it on an individual basis, as different sectors may differ.

How to use UKCA marking?

Conforming to UK legislation through UKCA marking can be executed through six steps:

1. Relevant instructions and standards should be identified.
2. Ensure a product’s specific provisions are correct.
3. Establish whether an independent conformity assessment is required.
4. Put the product through the relevant testing.
5. Devise the technical documentation.
6. Mark the product with the correct legislation marking.

Legislation around using the UKCA image.

To comply with legislation, the UKCA image must be at least 5mm high, with the letters kept in full proportion to the label size. Organisation’s environments differ greatly, so it is imperative that you choose the right size label to suit the correct environment. PAT Labels Online offers a wide range of sizes and materials to suit your business requirements.

Our mini size UKCA marking labels (32 x 35mm) are the smallest option and are very flexible to use, even for the most portable products. These are commonly used by our customers on smaller items, such as, small electrical items, gas appliances and personal protective equipment (PPE).

Protecting the UKCA marking labels.

In some harsher working environments, stronger adhesive is needed to make sure the UKCA labels stay in place, thus ensuring the organisations are always conforming to the required laws. PAT Labels Online’ range of heavy duty UKCA labels are designed and produced with rigidity in mind and are now established as a reliable tool for such environments.

In order to successfully negotiate the external environment, and grow successfully, it is very important for organisations to continuously monitor government legislation changes. Assess your specific business needs and then head to PAT Labels Online to purchase the correct labels!