The WEEE and RoHS Directives are currently undergoing a "recast" in the European Union, and both will have significant implications for the medical device industry. This is particularly true in the case of the RoHS Directive, where medical devices will almost certainly be included for the first time. As a result, there will be important new considerations for component procurement, design, manufacturing and support. Manufacturers need to understand that obtaining exemptions is likely to become more complex as well.

In this conference, our speaker explains how the changes to the WEEE Directive as proposed will introduce recovery and recycling targets, and may make trans-boundary shipments of articles/assemblies for repair, investigation or refurbishment more complicated.

This audio conference covers:

• The rationale for the WEEE/RoHS Directives
• How these directives relate to other legislation (for example, EuP)
• Why complying with the RoHS Directive may not be straightforward
• The implications for service and support
• Changes to your products that may be necessary
• Resource implications of complying with RoHS

About the speaker:

Andy Vaughan, Environmental Systems Specialist at Donawa Lifescience Consulting, gained qualifications in control electronics before entering the medical device industry in 1976, specializing in diagnostic ultrasound in 1980. He spent seven years based in the Netherlands as the European Technical Expert for Aloka, a major Japanese ultrasound equipment manufacturer, before joining the UK subsidiary of the Olympus Corporation in 1995.

Mr. Vaughan has practical experience in all aspects of environmental affairs management relating to medical devices, including the directives on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS), Energy using Products (EuP) and Batteries. He is a member of standards working group IEC TC62A WG20, which produced the IEC 60601-1-9 collateral standard Environmentally Conscious Design of Medical Electrical Equipment, published in 2007, and is a regular speaker on environmental matters at medical device seminars and conferences.

Who should attend?

• Regulatory Affairs
• Environment Managers
• Manufacturing Managers
• Quality Assurance
• Service Managers