Room heating appliances

This is a list of examples of common risks. However, the manufacturer has to carry out an assessment of the room heating appliance that covers all relevant risks that may be associated with the product and actions taken to mitigate these risks where possible. A general definition of risk and its relationship to hazards can be found in the factsheet on Safety Gate website. Type ‘room heater’ into the free text search box (but without the quotation marks) and select the ‘electrical appliances and equipment’ Product Category to view notified examples. A better understanding of mistakes made in the safety assessment on the room heating appliance or its manufacture can help avoid their repetition.

Main applicable legislation

These products are governed mainly by the Low Voltage Directive (LVD).The Directive lays down the safety criteria that all large household appliances must meet before they can be marketed in the EU. Large household appliances must comply with the essential safety requirements set out in this Directive. More specific details can be found here.

• Guidelines for the application of the Low Voltage Directive
• Guidelines for Safety Related Risk Assessment and Risk Reduction for Low Voltage Equipment

Moreover, all electric household appliances should comply with these two pieces of legislation:

• EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility) – lays down requirements for emission of electromagnetic disturbances to the environment and immunity to electromagnetic disturbances in the surrounding environment.
• RoHS 2 Directive (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) – restricts the use of certain substances and chemicals in electrical and electronic equipment

If the electrical appliance and equipment is capable to communicate wirelessly (e.g. incorporates Bluetooth or Wi-Fi), it should meet the requirements of the Radio Equipment Directive. Electromagnetic immunity and disturbances for products incorporating a communications device are dealt with under this directive.

Please also check the factsheet for Power Supplies, Chargers and Adaptors for safety requirements for the external power supply.

All risks that are not covered by the LVD, are governed by the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR). The Regulation lays down that only safe consumer products can be marketed in the EU. Large household appliances must comply with the general safety requirement set out in this Regulation. More specific details can be found here.

Applicable standards

“European standards” exist in the EU for large household appliances. Large household appliances complying with these standards are presumed to be in conformity with the essential safety requirements set out in the Low Voltage Directive if the standards are referenced in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU).
It is important to note that the latest edition of the standard referenced in the OJEU (including any amendments) applies.

Note: The following site of CEN CENELEC (the European standardisation organisation) provides links to the national standardisation bodies’ websites. In addition, the China Standards Information Services Network can be used to access European standards.

The following standards apply to room heating appliances (and others may apply in specific circumstances):

• EN 60335-1:2012 plus amendments – Household and similar electrical appliances –
• EN 6335-2-30:2009 plus amendments Household and similar electrical appliances – Particular requirements for room heaters

Appliances which are intended to create heat but are not considered to be room heaters also have applicable harmonised standards, and the following may be relevant to these products, dependent on its configuration. Please refer to published harmonised standards). Each of these Part 2 standards must be read in conjunction with EN 60335 Part 1.

• EN 62311 The standard describes measurement methods and safety requirements related to human exposure for electromagnetic fields (0 Hz – 300 GHz).

However, the standard series covers other safety issues and manufacturers are strongly advised to consult the whole standard.

Other legislation of relevance:

The following summarises some further key applicable laws:

• Ecodesign regulations – establishes ecodesign requirements for energy-related products
• Energy labelling regulations – establishes the requirements and criteria for energy labelling of energy-related products
• Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) – establishes rules for treating of waste electrical and electronic equipment, to contribute to sustainable production and consumption
• The REACH regulation restricts chemical substances in goods. REACH stands for “Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals”, and it places responsibility on the industry to manage the risks from chemicals and to provide safety information on the substances. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) maintains a list of substances of very high concern (the “SVHC list”). According to article 56(1) of the Regulation, manufacturers shall not place products containing any of the substances on this list on the market. The updated list of substances of very high concern can be found on ECHA’s website.
• Please note that every product must be safe for the consumers according to the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR). If an electric product is unsafe, and that particular aspect is not regulated by the Low Voltage Directive, then the General Product Safety Regulation applies. This particularly applies to electrical products outside of the voltage limits specified in the Low Voltage Directive and without radio communication.