Blog
U.S. Electrical Product Safety Governed by OSHA and Local Code
Staying compliant with electrical product safety in the United States can be a challenge. Here is a basic primer for contractors and facility owners. Electrical product safety is specified at the federal level and the local level: Federal law governs electrical equipment utilized in the workplace Local building code officials enforce local standards ordinances and... Read More
EU Association Accuses UL of Abusing Its Position in the U.S. Product Safety Certification Market
In October, a European industry association published a strong-worded position paper that details how EU manufacturers suffer from the “malfunctioning of the U.S. certification market,” due to Underwriters Laboratories’ “abuse of its dominant position.” The paper’s author, Orgalime, is the European Engineering Industries Association that represents some 130,000 companies in the mechanical, electrical, electronic, metalworking &... Read More
Laser and Photonics Products Have Unique Safety Requirements
When it comes to development of products with an integrated laser or photonic technology (including fiber optics), it pays to be aware of product safety regulatory and compliance requirements from an early stage. Lasers and other photonics technologies create unique risks due to their highly concentrated light. Therefore, regulations exist at various levels: Local (U.S.)... Read More
Energy Efficiency Testing for Products Becoming More Widespread
The fastest growing sector of the electrical and electronic product test business is energy efficiency testing. This is no surprise, what with the ongoing depletion of known supplies of fossil fuels and its associated geo-political and cost implications, combined with the pollution and attendant climate change associated with energy consumption. Here is an overview of... Read More
RTCA/DO-160G is Latest Version for Testing of Airborne Equipment, But Not the Only Choice
Guidance to help you identify and select the applicable version of the DO-160 standard and other regulations for your aerospace product. We often get the question: What version of RTCA/DO-160 should I use? As per usual, it depends. RTCA/DO-160G, Environmental Conditions and Test Procedures for Airborne Equipment, is the latest version; it is dated December... Read More
Testing Prepares Vehicle Awareness Devices for DOT Qualification in Spring
This week, MET Labs, Federal Signal Technologies, Concurrent Technology Corporation, and OmniAir Consortium, Inc. are performing a 4th round of regression testing on Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) Vehicle Awareness Devices. The testing is being performed at Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas. The Vehicle Awareness Device specification produced by the U.S. DOT has undergone... Read More
TCB Workshop Includes R&TTE Directive Overview
Last week, MET Labs attended the FCC Telecommunication Certification Body (TCB) Council TCB Workshop in Baltimore. Here was the agenda. One of the workshop’s more interesting presentations was on the R&TTE Directive. Following is a summary of the key points. The Radio and Telecommunication Terminal Equipment Directive applies in Europe and the European Economic Area.... Read More
ACTA Now Allowing Part 68 TTE Validation for 2012
Effective November 1, 2011, the Administrative Council for Terminal Attachments (ACTA) is allowing Responsible Parties to validate their Part 68 Telephone Terminal Equipment (TTE) Responsible Party Code (RPC) data for the 2012 calendar year. A discounted rate will be in effect through January 31, 2012. RPC data is required to be validated on an annual... Read More
60601-1 Third Edition Overview Covers Key Changes from Second Edition
This Compliance Today blog post is derived from the second half of a MET Labs-hosted 60601-1 3rd Edition Overview webinar. Find the transcription of the first half of the webinar here, or the full recorded webinar here. Following are the key changes from the 2nd to 3rd edition of 60601-1 for electro-medical device product safety... Read More
60601-1 Third Edition Overview Outlines Adoption in U.S., Canada & EU
Last week, MET Labs hosted a 60601-1 Third Edition Overview webinar. The webinar was very popular, so we are following up with a transcription of many of the key points. About half of the presentation was devoted to regional acceptance. United States In the U.S., the current standard is UL 60601-1 First Edition, with revisions... Read More