Chemical name: Mercury

Final regulatory action has been taken for the category: Industrial

Final regulatory action: The chemical is Severely Restricted

Use or uses prohibited by the final regulatory action:

Mercury;

1. Shall not be placed on the market:

(a) in fever thermometers;

(b) in other measuring devices intended for sale to the general public (such as manometers, barometers, sphygmomanometers, thermometers other than fever thermometers).

3. The following mercury-containing measuring devices intended for industrial and professional uses shall not be placed on the market after 31 December 2018:

(a) barometers;

(b) hygrometers;

(c) manometers;

(d) sphygmomanometers;

(e) strain gauges to be used with plethysmographs;

(f) tensiometers;

(g) thermometers and other non-electrical thermometric applications.

The restriction shall also apply to measuring devices under points (a) to (g) which are placed on the market empty if intended to be filled with mercury.

5. The following mercury-using measuring devices intended for professional and industrial uses shall not be placed on the market after 31 December 2018:

(a) mercury pycnometers;

(b) mercury metering devices for determination of the softening point.

6. The restrictions in paragraphs 3 and 5 shall not apply to:

(a) measuring devices more than 60 years old on the date of publication of this Bylaw;

(b) measuring devices which are to be displayed in public exhibitions for cultural and historical purposes.

Use or uses that remain allowed:

- The restriction in paragraph 1(b) shall not apply to:

(a) measuring devices more than 60 years old on the publication date of this Bylaw;

(b) barometers (except barometers within point (a)) until 31 December 2018

- The restriction in paragraph 3 shall not apply to:

(a) sphygmomanometers to be used:

(i) in epidemiological studies which are ongoing on the publication date of this Bylaw;

(ii) as reference standards in clinical validation studies of mercury-free sphygmomanometers;

(b) thermometers exclusively intended to perform tests according to standards that require the use of mercury thermometers until 31 December 2020;

(c) mercury triple point cells which are used for the calibration of platinum resistance thermometers.

The final regulatory action was based on a risk or hazard evaluation: No

Summary of the final regulatory action:

Mercury shall not be placed on the market in fever thermometers and in other measuring devices intended for sale to the general public (such as manometers, barometers, sphygmomanometers, thermometers other than fever thermometers).

The reasons for the final regulatory action were relevant to:

Date of entry into force of the final regulatory action: 23/12/2017