Environmental requirements
Several measures aimed at the protection of the environment are covered by European directives and regulations. Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Toshiba) is committed to comply with all applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
Developments of these requirements are closely followed by Toshiba. In this respect Toshbia is member of COCIR. COCIR, representing the major Medical Device Manufacturers, is at the forefront of green initiatives with intelligent EcoDesign solutions. Toshiba actively participates in several of COCIR's activities, including the environment related ones.
Read more about "Greening at COCIR"
The following is a brief description of the most significant directives and an explanation of Toshiba’s actions.
WEEE - Directive on electric and electronic waste (2002/96/EC)
The European WEEE directive covers the collection and treatment of electronic waste. National regulations have been set up as well as an infrastructure to handle products that have reached "end of life".
Information for users
Toshiba has made arrangements to handle products that need to be disposed of in all EEA countries. Because the arrangements for the handling of waste products may substantially differ in the various member states, parties affected are requested to contact the local representative office for the situation in the specific country.
Information for treatment facilities
Information, facilitating the environmentally sound treatment of WEEE, will made available to treatment facilities for all current products. info@tmse.nl can be contacted to obtain relevant information.
RoHS - Directive on the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (2002/95/EC)
The RoHS directive puts restrictions on the use of certain hazardous substances.
Medical Devices are currently exempted from the RoHS directive. However, in line with Toshiba' s overall environmental policy, much effort is put in ensuring that substances banned for electronic products are not commonly used in medical devices either. Toshiba continually monitors the applicability of the RoHS to any of its products and will ensure full compliance where appropriate.
Directive on spent batteries (2006/66/EC)
This directive puts restrictions on material to be used in batteries, requires specific labeling of batteries. In addition, a fee must be paid over all batteries placed on the market.
Toshiba complies with the requirements of this directive by using only permitted batteries, providing disposal information and by duly registering batteries placed on the market.
The REACH regulations (1907/2006)
These regulations require all (chemical) substances to be registered and forbid the use of certain substances. Furthermore, restrictions are put on the use of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC). Toshiba have verified that chemicals contained in articles manufactured by Toshiba were duly and timely pre-registered by the suppliers of such chemicals.
Toshiba expressly commits to also ensure that the subsequent registration phases as regulated by REACH and as in accordance with the volume of substances shipped to the EU are adhered to.
Recipients of articles are to be advised on how to safely handle items containing an SVHC in a concentration of more than 0.1%wt. At present Toshiba do not supply any such articles. Information on a meanwhile obsolete article (carrying case for Ultrasound transusers) can be accessed through this document: Safety information for DEHP (Multilingual)
More information about the directives can be found at:
WEEE: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/weee/index_en.htm
RoHS: http://www.rohs.eu/english/index.html
Batteries: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/batteries/index.htm
REACH: www.echa.europa.eu
For more environmental information, please refer to Toshiba's Corporate Social and Environmental Activities website or contact the Regulatory Affairs section of Toshiba Medical Systems Europe at info@TMSE.nl
