In June, MET Labs Product Safety Lab Director Rick Cooper gave a presentation in Oslo, Norway on Household Product Certification in the United States.

For those who missed it, here is a basic summary:

In the United States, UL 60335-1 covers the General Requirements for electrical/electronic household products.  This harmonized standard is part of the U.S. NRTL program.  The U.S. participates in the HOUS category of the international IECEE CB Scheme for IEC 60335-1.

The fifth edition of UL 60335-1 is part of a tri-national standard, along with CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 60335-1-11, 1st edition (Canada) and NMX-J-521/1-ANCE, 1st edition (Mexico).  The tri-national standard was published October 31, 2011 and is based on IEC 60335-1, Edition 4.2:2006.

In regards to Part 2 particular standards, the U.S. only recognizes IEC 60335-2-3, 5th edition (Electric Irons) for the CB Scheme.  There is a U.S. version of this standard: UL 60335-2-3.  There are a number of other published -2s, but they need to be harmonized before they are suitable for the CB Scheme.  These include UL 30335-2-8 (Shavers & Hair Clippers), UL 30335-2-34 (Motor-Compressors), and UL 30335-2-40 (Heat Pumps, A/Cs, and Dehumidifiers).

The lack of harmonized Part 2 standards is primarily due to:

• Different materials, insulation requirements, and voltages between the U.S. and other countries
• Off-the-shelf universal power supplies that are suitable for this product category are unavailable

Unlike the OFF industry, where off-the-shelf universal supplies are abundant, two versions of HOUS products need to be built, so there is not a lot of interest in developing Part 2s by the relevant industries.

Putting the international CB Scheme aside, OSHA today recognizes 38 household product standards for the NRTL Program, including many legacy standards.  See the full list of all category standards recognized by OSHA here.

Over 25 years ago, MET Labs became the first NRTL, and today is accredited by OSHA for over 180 UL standards.  MET is also a recognized member of the IECEE CB Scheme, for product safety approval in over 50 countries.

Contact us today for a free quote to test your household products, or any other electrical/electronic equipment.