Selling our products in the EU? If you have customers, diving operations or sell in the European Union (a total of 28 countries) you should be aware of the new regulation replacing Council Directive 89/686/EEC: Regulation EU 2016 / 425 final date of compliance was April 21st 2019.
What does it all mean?
The new regulation is intended to increase safety and safeguard the European Union (EU) marketplace by expanding accountability with heightened transparency of traceability. Simply put a product is traced from build to buyer.
Although this regulation asks more from the manufacturer, it also asks more from the seller of goods; this translates to new responsibilities for importers and distributors of Kirby Morgan products. In short, the dealer is required to keep a record of sales and provide a list of the final clients, if requested, to the EU authority.
Traceability
The new regulation’s required level of traceability is already in place with authorized Kirby Morgan dealers. All authorized Kirby Morgan dealers are responsible for providing client details when conducting business in the EU. Authorized Kirby Morgan dealers are required to link a product to the final consumer. The new regulation requires importers and distributor to keep traceability records for ten years.
Excerpt from Regulation EU 2016 425 - L81/53 No. 15
Provision should also be made for importers to make sure that the conformity assessment procedures have been carried out and that the CE marking and technical documentation drawn up by manufacturers are available for inspection by the competent national authorities.
In other words: as an end user, one must be conscious that if an employer in the EU asks for documentation of your Kirby Morgan helmet or mask, it must be presented.
Certificate of conformities are shipped with all Kirby Morgan products sold in the EU. Replacement certificates or requests for certificates for products being sold outside of the EU are $25 USD and require a 48 hour processing time.
Compliant products, Current Regulations
All CE certified Kirby Morgan products have been tested and clearly marked to inform the user that they are certified to the new regulation.
