mcmurdo SMARTFIND E5, User Manual

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Page 45
16 END OF LIFE STATEMENT
At the end of the EPIRB’s useful life, it is vital that the battery be disconnected from
the main unit to prevent false alarms. False alarms cause expensive disruption to
Search and Rescue services and may endanger lives as a consequence. It is also
necessary that the EPIRB and its battery pack be disposed of in a manner that does
not present a threat of environmental damage.
Battery Removal
To disconnect the battery, turn the EPIRB over and remove the three retaining screws
using a cross headed screwdriver. Separate the clear dome from the main body of the
EPIRB. The circuit board will lift away with the clear dome; if possible avoid touching
the PCB. Using fingers; unplug the three white battery connectors and cover the
individual white battery connectors with sticky tape to prevent inadvertent short-
circuiting. Using a cross headed screwdriver remove the two retaining screws that
hold the battery assembly in place. The battery assembly can now be removed from
the main body of the EPIRB.
Disposal
The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive aims to minimise
any adverse impact of electronic equipment on the environment, both during the
product lifetime and when it becomes waste. Within the European Union this
legislation is mandated by Directive 2002/96/EC, and there is similar legislation in
most other continents. The directive applies to all electronic products such as IT,
household appliances, portable electronics etc., and imposes requirements to collect,
treat, recover and recycle each product at its end of life. Electronic end-user products
must also carry a WEEE label (as below) and recovery and recycling information has
to be provided to the recycler.
This EPIRB product contains traces of lithium in the battery pack. In addition it may
contain lead and brominated flame retardants (BFRs), both in the housing material
and circuit boards.
In keeping with the directive, McMurdo strongly recommends that this EPIRB product
and its battery pack be disposed of in a sensible and considerate manner. For
example, do not simply discard the product in the domestic waste. Instead take it to a
civil recycling facility, or contact McMurdo for advice.