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These Regulations, which apply to the United Kingdom, implement Council Directive No. 76/764/EEC, as amended, relating to clinical mercury-in-glass, maximum reading thermometers. They apply to clinical thermometers designed to measure the internal temperature of humans or animals (regulation 3).

The Regulations—
(a) specify the signs of EEC pattern approval and EEC limited pattern approval and the mark of EEC initial verification (regulation 4 and the Schedule);

(b) provide for the free movement in the United Kingdom of clinical thermometers which bear the sign of EEC pattern approval and the mark of EEC initial verification (regulation 5);

(c) provide for the approval by the Secretary of State of bodies to grant EEC pattern approval and to carry out EEC initial verification in respect of clinical thermometers (regulation 6(1) to (5));

(d) enable approval bodies to charge fees for things done in performance of their functions under the Regulations (regulation 6(6) to (9));

(e) provide for the grant by approved bodies of EEC pattern approval of clinical thermometers which comply with the Directive (regulation 7);

(f) provide for a sign of EEC pattern approval or EEC limited pattern approval to be affixed to clinical thermometers which conform to the approved pattern (regulation 8);

(g) provide for approved bodies to carry out EEC initial verification of clinical thermometers to determine whether a pattern approval is in force and whether they conform to it and to the requirements of the Directive (regulation 9(1) and (2));

(h) provide for a mark of EEC initial verification to be affixed to clinical thermometers which conform to the approved pattern and to the requirements of the Directive (regulation 9(3) and (4));

(i) restrict the making of applications for initial verification where an EEC limited pattern approval is subject to a condition limiting the number of clinical thermometers which may be submitted for initial verification (regulation 10);

(j) prohibit the use for trade of clinical thermometers in respect of which EEC pattern approval has been revoked or has not been extended (regulation 11);

(k) provide for the temporary prohibition of the sale or use of clinical thermometers in respect of which an EEC pattern approval is in force but which reveal in service a defect which makes them unsuitable for their intended use (regulation 12);

(l) enable an inspector to obliterate EEC signs and marks in specified circumstances (regulation 13);

9(m) prohibit the unauthorised application of EEC signs and marks (regulation 14);

(n) provide for powers of inspectors, obstruction of inspectors, offences by corporations and the institution of proceedings and specified penalties (regulations 15 to 19).