The UKCA Mark: Ensuring Compliance for Products Sold in the UK

The UK's withdrawal from the European Union has led to the adoption a new product marking system - the UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed) mark. This mark is used for goods placed on the market in Great Britain, namely England, Wales, and Scotland, designed to ensure that products meet the highest standards of compliance. In this article, we'll delve deeper into the UKCA mark, how it differs from the previous CE marking, and what you need to know to ensure compliance.

The UKCA Mark: A New System for Compliance

The UKCA mark is a new product marking system that replaces the CE marking previously used by the EU. For products to be sold in the UK, they must have the UKCA mark, which applies to specific product types previously covered by the CE marking. This new marking system is designed to ensure that products placed on the market in the UK meet the necessary standards of safety, health, and environmental protection.

The Conformity Process for UKCA Marking

The conformity process for the UKCA marking remains similar to the CE marking. However, products such as PPE and Medical Devices must ensure the conformity assessment is correct for the UK. This means that EU Notified bodies can no longer be used. Instead, UK-based approved bodies must be used for conformity assessments. Furthermore, there is a requirement for a separate UK version of the Declaration of Conformity.

Timeline for UKCA Marking Implementation

To ensure that the industry has time to act on this new regime, the UK government has allowed an implementation deadline of the 1st of January 2022 for most products and longer for Medical Devices. During that time, products manufactured with a CE mark will still be allowed to be sold. However, from the 1st of January 2023, it is mandatory to have a UKCA mark for products placed on the UK market.

Rules for Using the UKCA Mark

There are specific rules for using the UKCA mark, ensuring that consumers' interests are maintained. The letters must remain proportionately to the official lettering version. The UKCA marking should be at least 5mm in height unless otherwise required by by-product legislation. The UK should also be easily visible on the product, and from the 1st of January 2023, it should be permanently attached.

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