Product Safety

Safety of products

Every product placed on the market or made available on the market must be safe. The requirements for product safety are laid down in the Law on Product Safety and European Union legislation.  In implementing the Law on Product Safety and the Law onConformity Assessment, the Ministry of Social Security and Labour, by Resolution No 1482 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania of 27 December 1999 ‘On the designation of bodies authorised to approve mandatory product safety requirements and to lay down conformity assessment procedures’,has been designated as a responsible body for the approval of technical regulations and other legal acts laying down mandatory product safety requirements and the establishment of a conformity assessment procedure for the following products:

• personal protective equipment;
• ropes, hooks and chains;
• machinery;
• lifts;
• cableway installations.

Personal protective equipment

The requirements for the design and manufacture of personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure the protection of the health and safety of users and the rules on the free movement of PPE within the European Union are laid down in the Regulation (EU) 2016/425 of the European Parliament and of the Council. In order to ensure proper implementation of the requirements set out in the European Union, the European Commission has produced the Guide to Application of Regulation (EU) 2016/425 which as well as other relevant information on PPE is placed on the website of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs.

For the implementation of the Regulation (EU) 2016/425, Order No A1-171 of the Minister for Social Security and Labour of 19 April 2018 ‘On implementation of the Regulation (EU) 2016/425 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on personal protective equipment and repealing Council Directive 89/686/EEC’ was adopted.

Market surveillance of the PPE is carried out by the State Consumer Rights Protection Authority.

The Laboratory for Testing and Certification of Textiles of the Department of Textile Technologies of the Centre for Physical Sciences and Technology of the State Scientific Research Institute is a notified body (No 1401) in the information system of the European Commission, which was designated by Order No A1-550 of the Minister for Social Security and Labour of 31 October 2017 ‘On the designation of the body to carry out the conformity assessment procedures laid down in Regulation (EU) 2016/425 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on personal protective equipment and repealing Council Directive 89/686/EEC’:

• high visibility clothing;
• protective clothing used in welding and similar processes;
• protective clothing to protect against heat and flame (&100 °C);
• protective clothing against diffuse electrostatic charge;
• protective clothing against atmospheric conditions that are not special;
• protective equipment (protective clothing) against substances and mixtures dangerous to health;
• protective equipment (protective clothing) against harmful biological agents.

If there is no relevant notified body in Lithuania to carry out the conformity assessment of a product the manufacturer of the product or his representative may contact a notified conformity assessment body referred to in NANDO information system.

Ropes, hooks and chains

In the European Union, the requirements for lifting equipment are laid down in Council Directive 73/361/EEC.

In Lithuania, there is a technical regulation ’Lifting Accessories. Certification and Labelling’, approved by Order No 113 of the Minister for Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania of 28 December 2000 ‘On the approval of the technical regulation ’Lifting Accessories. Certification and Labelling’’, which transposes and implements the provisions of Directive 73/361/EEC.

Machinery

In the European Union, the requirements for the design, manufacture, conformity assessment and placing on the market of machinery are laid down in the Directive 2006/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council. In order to ensure proper implementation of the requirements in the European Union, the European Commission has drawn up a guide on the application of Directive 2006/42/EC which as well as other relevant information on machinery is placed on the website of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs.

On 14 June 2023 the Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2023 on machinery and repealing Directive 2006/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Directive 73/361/EEC was adopted. This Regulation fully shall apply from 14 January 2027.

In Lithuania, there is a Technical regulation ‘Machinery safety’ approved by Order No 28 of the Minister of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania of 6 March 2000 ‘On the approval of the Technical regulation ‘Machinery safety’, which transposes and implements the provisions of the Directive 2006/42/EC. Machinery placed on the market, made available on the market or put into service in Lithuania shall comply with the requirements of this Technical Regulation.

Market surveillance of machinery intended for use by non-professional users is carried out by the State Consumer Rights Protection Authority.

Market surveillance of machinery intended for use by professional users is carried out by the State Labour Inspectorate of the Republic of Lithuania under the Ministry of Social Security and Labour (hereinafter referred to as the State Labour Inspectorate).

There are no notified bodies in Lithuania that would carry out a conformity assessment of a product in accordance with the requirements of the Technical regulation ‘Safety of Machinery’. The manufacturer of the product concerned or his representative may contact the notified body referred to in NANDO information system.

Lifts

In the European Union, the requirements applicable to the design, manufacture, conformity assessment and placing on the market of lifts and safety components for lifts are laid down in Directive 2014/33/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council. In order to ensure proper implementation of the requirements set in the European Union, the European Commission has produced a guide on the application of the Directive 2014/33/EU, which is available in English, as well as other relevant information on lifts and safety components for lifts, on the website of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs.  

In Lithuania, there is a technical regulation ‘Lifts and safety components for lifts’ approved by Order No 106 of the Minister for Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania of 28 December 1999 ‘On approving the technical regulation ‘Lifts and safety components for lifts’’ which transposes and implements the provisions of Directive 2014/33/EU. Lifts and safety components for lifts placed on the market, made available on the market or put into service in Lithuania shall comply with the requirements of this technical regulation.

Market surveillance of lifts and safety components for lifts is carried out by the State Labour Inspectorate.

In Lithuania, the following notified bodies assess the conformity of lifts with the essential safety and health requirements:

NOTE. The appointment of the liquidated Public institution “Technikos priežiūros tarnyba” (former number in NANDO information system NB 1399) to perform conformity assessment procedures has been canceled since 1 June 2023, as well as the status of the notified body in the NANDO information system.

If there is no appropriate notified body in the Republic of Lithuania to carry out the conformity assessment of a product, the manufacturer of the product or his representative may contact the notified body referred to in NANDO information system.

Cableway installations

In the European Union, rules on the design, installation and entry into service of cableway installations, on the making available on the market and free movement of cableway installations’ subsystems and safety components are laid down in Regulation (EU) 2016/424 of the European Parliament and of the Council. Other relevant information related to the implementation of the requirements for cableway installations can be found on the website of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs.

On the implementation of Regulation (EU) 2016/424 in Lithuania the Order No A1-175 of the Minister for Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania of 20 April 2018 ‘On the implementation of Regulation (EU) 2016/424 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on cableway installations and repealing Directive 2000/9/EC’ is adopted.

The market surveillance of cableway installations is carried out by the State Labour Inspectorate.

There are no notified bodies in Lithuania that would carry out a conformity assessment of the product in accordance with the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2016/424. Therefore, the manufacturer of the product concerned or his representative may contact the notified body referred to in NANDO information system.