Tag Archives: certification

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

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 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

ENERGY STAR Undergoes Specification Updates for Televisions, Computers, Displays & Imaging Equipment

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is in the midst of updating many ENERGY STAR specifications.  Here is the status of a few key categories: Televisions The effective date of Version 5.3 ENERGY STAR Program Requirements for Televisions is September 30, 2011. Version 5.3 was finalized on January 24, 2011. These requirements establish challenging On... Read More

Top 10 Tips for Designing Safety into Electrical Products

Electrical Source Magazine features an article in its July/August 2011 issue that gives an overview on how to design electrical products to comply with safety standards including UL 60950-1, the safety standard for IT Equipment. “Working by Electrical Standards” was written recently by MET Laboratories Product Safety Engineer Tim Su. The article describes the safety hazards, and provides preventive actions... Read More