Product Safety
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
UL 1741 Safety Testing of Inverters Includes Anti-Islanding Requirement
UL 16741 the standard for anti-islanding protection In the event of a power failure on the electric grid, it is required that any independent power-producing inverters attached to the grid turn off in a short period of time. This prevents the DC-to-AC inverters from continuing to feed power into small sections of the grid, known... Read More
Hazardous Location Product Safety Certification Requirements for EU, China, Russia, Korea & India
This post is the second of two posts on hazardous location product safety testing and certification. The first post explored testing for UL/CSA, ATEX & IECEx. This post looks at certification requirements for particular markets/countries. North America In the United States, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) governs the Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories (NRTL) program,... Read More
Hazardous Location Product Safety Testing Explained for UL/CSA, ATEX & IECEx
Safety testing and certifying products for hazardous locations is complicated, especially when a manufacturer is exporting to multiple markets. Following is a basic primer. For more detailed information or questions, contact MET Labs. Standards In countries with formal certification and a 3-zone system, the IEC60079 series of standards is commonly used, adopted as National Standards... Read More
NFPA 790 and NFPA 791 Now a Criterion for Field Evaluation Bodies
In the U.S. workplace, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) mandates that all electrical equipment be safety certified. Many state, county and local jurisdictions also have similar requirements. However, equipment is sometimes installed that has not been certified or has been modified after installation. Then, a field evaluation may be necessary, as determined by... Read More
China CCC Product Safety Compliance for A/V & IT Equipment is Changing
Audio/video equipment and information technology equipment intended for sale in China must meet new China Compulsory Certification (CCC) product safety requirements starting in November and December, respectively. In February, the Certification and Accreditation Administration of China (CNCA) Technical Committee for High Tech Industry finalized the certificate update instructions for both GB8898 (Audio, Video and Similar... Read More
EU Updates ATEX, Medical, R&TTE & Machinery Directives for CE Marking
The European Commission has been busy updating lists of European harmonized standards for various product directives. Here are the updates to the Official Journal (OJ) of the European Union, looking back from the most recent: May 4, 2012 – Updates to the ATEX Directive (94/9/EC), the European CE directive that applies to equipment used in... Read More
IECEE Suspends Brazil NCBs and CBTLs from CB Scheme
Effective last month, Brazilian National Certification Bodies (NCBs) and CB Testing Laboratories (CBTLs) have been suspended from the IECEE CB Scheme. This is the first time that the IECEE has suspended a member. The suspension is attributed to additional accreditation requirements of Brazil’s regulatory authority, the National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology (INMETRO). INMETRO requires... Read More
Health Canada Provides Guidance on IEC 60601-1 3rd Edition Transition
For Medical Electrical Equipment product safety compliance in Canada, Health Canada currently recognizes both the second edition of IEC 60601-1, published in 1988, and the third edition, published in 2005. In October, 2008, Health Canada published a notice indicating that until June 1, 2012, conformity to the second edition of IEC 60601-1 and its related... Read More
2011 National Electrical Code (NEC) Updates Standard for the Safe Installation of Electrical Equipment
The National Electrical Code (NEC) – or NFPA 70 – was updated in 2011, as part of its 3-year change cycle. The NEC is published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and is commonly adopted by U.S. state or local political subdivision, and enforced by the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ). Many NEC requirements refer... Read More
