Important News For Users Of SOLAS / MED Certified Marine products

Did you realise that a new Marine Equipment Directive – 2014/90/EU – enters into force on 18th September 2016. One of the new requirements is that a Declaration of Conformity (DOC) must be issued by the original manufacturer for every individual SOLAS / MED wheel marked product supplied.

This declaration of conformity must state the product model and serial number, the certificate type approval numbers, the notified body number and the year when the wheel mark was affixed to the product (so in fact the year of production).

We are also obliged to ensure that this original DOC is delivered with the product to the end-user. The end-user must then keep all DOCs safely on record and make sure these are made readily available to any inspection bodies; marine surveyors; government administration / flag state authorities; market surveillance bodies who will request proof of these documents during the course of regular surveys, inspections and checks.

Market surveillance and inspection requirements are heightened for all such SOLAS / MED products in this manner and it is therefore very important that these DOCs are delivered to the end user and retained safely.

The authorities will also be checking for genuine traceability and validity of the DOC back to the manufacturer as well as validity of the type approval certification and the products themselves. Please notify us of all such requests and we will assist in providing any necessary information accordingly.

You will find these original DOCs inside the product packaging / bag as a hard copy document for all Mullion SOLAS / MED lifejackets and immersions suits supplied to you. Mullion have been gradually phasing this in from the beginning of 2016, but if you find that you have such products on your stocks without this DOC that have not been issued, please notify us and we can arrange to supply these to you.