Blog
ICPHSO Product Safety Meeting Features Record Attendance & Strong CPSC Involvement
The International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization (ICPHSO) Annual Meeting and Training Symposium is underway in Arlington, Va., and there are a record 800 product safety professionals in attendance. ICPHSO is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. There is a good mix of manufacturers, retailers, industry associations, and independent test labs here. The U.S.... Read More
FAQs Regarding IEC 62368-1, the Replacement for IEC 60950-1 & IEC 60065
What is IEC 62368-1? It is the new safety standard for Information Technology Equipment and Audio/Video Equipment. It is intended to replace IEC 60950-1 and IEC 60065. It is a hazard-based, performance-oriented standard. Is IEC 62368-1 a risk-based standard? No! Unlike IEC 60601-1, 3rd Edition, risk analysis is not required. Neither is it a simple... Read More
NRCan Proposes Decoupling ENERGY STAR Specs from its Energy Efficiency Regulations
Natural Resources Canada’s (NRCan) ENERGY STAR Initiative is considering significant changes in how products manufactured and/or sold in Canada are qualified and listed. NRCan proposes to de-couple Canada’s ENERGY STAR technical specifications from its Energy Efficiency Regulations. NRCan intends to use the ENERGY STAR technical specification published by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)... Read More
Proposed EMC Directive Revision Has New Notified Body Requirements
The European Union Association of Notified Bodies (EUANB) met in December in Spain to discuss proposed revisions to the EMC Directive. The final revised Directive is expected to be issued in the next few months. EUANB is the Notified Body Group for the EMC Directive and is composed of members who are a Notified Body... Read More
Proposed Changes to R&TTE Directive for Radio Equipment Include New Name & Requirements
The Radio and Telecommunications Terminal Equipment Compliance Association (R&TTE CA) met in December in Malaga, Spain to discuss proposed revisions to the R&TTE Directive, which is being renamed the Radio Equipment (RE) Directive. At the meeting, MET Laboratories was approved as a R&TTE Compliance Association member. (This is unrelated to R&TTE Notified Body status –... Read More
EMC Testing Requirement for IT Equipment Varies by Country
In Compliance Magazine recently published a good primer on compliance requirements for IT equipment around the world. Following is a summary of the electromagnetic compatibility regulations. A set of common standards serve as the basis for global EMC regulations: Conducted and radiated emissions are based on CISPR 22 & FCC Part 15 Immunity is based on... Read More
Top 10 Compliance Today Blog Posts for Electrical Compliance Engineers in 2012
The Compliance Today blog for electrical product manufacturer compliance engineers saw a significant jump in readers and subscribers in 2012. Following were the most popular 2012 posts, by pageviews. RTCA/DO-160G is Latest Version for Testing of Airborne Equipment, But Not the Only Choice UL1604 to Be Replaced by ANSI/ISA 12.12.01-2000 for Hazardous Locations Certification 2011... Read More
Luminaires Manufacturers Get New ENERGY STAR Certification Resources
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has posted new materials that aid in the testing and certification of lighting products for ENERGY STAR: Certifying Luminaires – Utilizing the Certified Subcomponent Database (CSD) This document helps luminaire manufacturers select components for ENERGY STAR fixtures. Items listed on the CSD have already been tested for photometric, life... Read More
Top 35 Blogs for Electrical Product Manufacturers
We received so much positive feedback on our blog posts for EMC Compliance Links and Product Safety Compliance Links, that we decided to dedicate a post to spotlight the top blogs for electrical product developers. With a few exceptions, these blogs are from independent sources, like industry associations, publishers or consultants. What are we missing?... Read More
Five Tips for Avoiding Counterfeit Electrical Products
Counterfeit electrical products are a huge and growing problem. Counterfeit products worth billions of dollars enter the U.S. each year. According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 13% of all counterfeit products seized are electrical products, ranking them second among all category totals. The manufacture of counterfeit electrical products is popular because the profits... Read More
