United Kingdom · Shading motors (blinds, shutters, awnings)
Placing motorised shading drives on the Great Britain market
Great Britain kept the EU product rules as its own regulations, with the UKCA marking. For motors, remotes and hubs the relevant ones are the electrical equipment safety, EMC and radio equipment regulations, plus machinery rules where they apply. The UK government currently recognises the CE marking in Great Britain for many of these products, so many manufacturers use one technical file for both markets; check the GOV.UK position for your product. Connectable consumer products also fall under the UK product security regime. Northern Ireland follows EU rules. Check each linked official text.
Checklist
Choose the marking route for Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Regulation
- UKCA marking (Great Britain) (SI 2017/1206; SI 2016/1091; SI 2016/1101; SI 2008/1597)
- Evidence
- Record whether each product is placed on the GB market with UKCA, with CE under the continued recognition, or both, and that products for Northern Ireland follow the EU route. Note the UK importer details required on the product or, under the current easement, on packaging or documents.
- Official lookup
- gov.uk
Assess electrical safety against BS EN 60335-2-97
- Regulation
- UKCA marking (Great Britain) (SI 2017/1206; SI 2016/1091; SI 2016/1101; SI 2008/1597)
- Standards
- BS EN IEC 60335-2-97 2023+A11:2023, IEC 60335-2-97 2023
- Evidence
- Test report against BS EN 60335-1 and BS EN IEC 60335-2-97 under the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 for mains drives; radio drives meet the same objectives through the radio regulations. Installation of mains motors by a qualified electrician following BS 7671.
- Official lookup
- legislation.gov.uk
Show electromagnetic compatibility for wired versions
- Regulation
- UKCA marking (Great Britain) (SI 2017/1206; SI 2016/1091; SI 2016/1101; SI 2008/1597)
- Evidence
- EMC test report under the Electromagnetic Compatibility Regulations 2016 for motors, control units and power supplies without radio.
- Official lookup
- legislation.gov.uk
Decide whether the drive is machinery or partly completed machinery
- Regulation
- UKCA marking (Great Britain) (SI 2017/1206; SI 2016/1091; SI 2016/1101; SI 2008/1597)
- Evidence
- Reasoned decision in the technical file under the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008; partly completed machinery is supplied with a declaration of incorporation and assembly instructions.
- Official lookup
- legislation.gov.uk
Check product standards of the finished blind, shutter or awning
- Standards
- EN 13659 2015, EN 13561 2015, EN 13120 2009+A1:2014, EN 16433 2014, EN 16434 2014
- Evidence
- BS EN 13659 and BS EN 13561 for external products (linked to the construction products rules), BS EN 13120 with BS EN 16433 and BS EN 16434 for internal blinds and child safety around cords and chains.
Meet the Radio Equipment Regulations 2017
- Regulation
- UKCA marking (Great Britain) (SI 2017/1206; SI 2016/1091; SI 2016/1101; SI 2008/1597)
- Evidence
- Radio, EMC and safety evidence for the radio product against designated standards (in practice the same EN standards used in the EU). Where designated standards are not fully applied, a UK approved body (or, while CE is recognised, an EU notified body for CE-marked goods) is involved.
- Official lookup
- legislation.gov.uk
Meet the UK product security regime for connectable products
- Evidence
- For consumer connectable products: no universal default passwords, a published way to report security issues, and a stated minimum period of security updates, with a statement of compliance supplied with the product. Applies in the whole UK, including Northern Ireland.
- Official lookup
- legislation.gov.uk
Restrict hazardous substances (UK RoHS)
- Regulation
- UKCA marking (Great Britain) (SI 2017/1206; SI 2016/1091; SI 2016/1101; SI 2008/1597)
- Evidence
- Supplier declarations and material testing as for EU RoHS; named in the UK declaration of conformity.
- Official lookup
- legislation.gov.uk
Check SVHC content under UK REACH
- Evidence
- Screen articles against the UK REACH candidate list and give customers the SVHC information required above 0.1 % by weight.
- Official lookup
- hse.gov.uk
Register as a WEEE producer in the UK
- Evidence
- Membership of a producer compliance scheme (or small-producer registration), quantity reporting and the crossed-out wheeled bin symbol.
- Official lookup
- legislation.gov.uk
Compile the technical file, UK declaration and marking
- Regulation
- UKCA marking (Great Britain) (SI 2017/1206; SI 2016/1091; SI 2016/1101; SI 2008/1597)
- Evidence
- Technical file, UK declaration of conformity listing the UK regulations and designated standards (or an EU declaration if relying on CE recognition), UKCA or CE marking, UK importer name and address, and instructions in English. Keep evidence of which marking route you use for each product family.
- Official lookup
- gov.uk
Consider voluntary third-party marks and protocol certification
- Certification
- IECEE CB Scheme
- Evidence
- IECEE CB report, national or European safety marks, and alliance certification for Matter, Zigbee or Z-Wave products. These do not replace the declarations above.
Key dates
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Sources
- GOV.UK: Placing UKCA or CE marked products on the market in Great Britain
- Radio Equipment Regulations 2017
- Electromagnetic Compatibility Regulations 2016
- Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016
- Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008
- Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022
- RoHS Regulations 2012 (UK)
- WEEE Regulations 2013 (UK)
- HSE: UK REACH
- GOV.UK: PSTI product security regime
This guide is a starting point, not legal advice. Check the official texts.
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