Rich- Thanks for the detailed reply to Chris's questions. Is it possible that a piece of equipment with an NRTL listing can be disconnected by a local electrical inspector/electrician enforcing the NEC because that paticular NRTL is not "approved" in their jurisdiction?
Doesn't the NRTL approval by OSHA take precedence over whether or not the local authorities accept the NRTL's listing? Thanks- -Andy Andrew Veit Systems Design Engineer MTS Systems Corp Ph: 919.677.2507 Fax: 919.677.2480 1001 Sheldon Drive Cary, NC 27513 -----Original Message----- From: Rich Nute [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2001 1:39 PM To: [email protected] Cc: [email protected] Subject: Re: Product Marking - new twist Hi Chris: > For instance, one of the messages says that the NEC gives an electrician the > right to unplug an un-NRTL-marked piece of equipment. Another message > states that the NRTL's mark is the proof of product safety. "NRTL" is a designation issued by OSHA. "Approved" is a designation used by the NEC. An NRTL may or may not be "approved," depending on the jurisdiction, i.e., the authority enforcing the NEC. The authority enforcing the NEC can disconnect any equipment that is not "approved." The electrician may be delegated (through licensing) to enforce the NEC, including disconnecting equipment that is not "approved." > 1. Are other certifications from other labs, such as A2LA and/or NVLAP > allowed as long as there is a test report? Under the NEC, equipment must be "approved." "Approved" is defined as acceptable to the jurisdiction enforcing the NEC. The jurisdiction decides "approved" on a lab-by-lab basis, and sometimes by standards or equipment type covered by that lab. Ultimately, it boils down to a certification mark from one of the labs accepted by the local jurisdiction. The test report is nothing more than a record maintained by the certification house for its own purposes of granting the right to use the mark on the equipment. Under the NEC (and OSHA), it is possible to install a non-certified product provided it is tested in place. In such a situation, the test report may be highly useful. (In Europe, the test report is essential, as Europe relies on the manufacturer proving the safety of the product.) > 2. Does it matter what the voltage rating of the product is? No. Safety certification process almost always requires the product to be safe (and therefore certified) in accordance with the product's ratings, including its input voltage rating. Although rare, it is possible to certify a multi- voltage product for one voltage by one lab and another voltage by another lab. This is done by agreement between the submittor and the lab. In such a case, the voltage for which the certification applies is specifically related to the certification mark. > 3. For products with external AC power supplies, would the NRTL mark need > to be on the supply and the product? Or the supply only? The external ac power supply must be "approved." The product may or may not need to be approved. If the rated input voltage exceeds 30 V rms or 42.4 V dc, then it must be approved (per the NEC). If the rated input voltage is less than 30 V rms or 42.4 V dc, then the NEC does not require it to be "approved;" it is a manufacturer's option whether to seek third- party certification. > 4. Does it matter where the product is used? (home, farm, factory ...) The NEC applies to almost every location (except electric utility locations). Best regards, Rich ------------------------------------------- This message is from the IEEE EMC Society Product Safety Technical Committee emc-pstc discussion list. To cancel your subscription, send mail to: [email protected] with the single line: unsubscribe emc-pstc For help, send mail to the list administrators: Jim Bacher: [email protected] Michael Garretson: [email protected] For policy questions, send mail to: Richard Nute: [email protected] ------------------------------------------- This message is from the IEEE EMC Society Product Safety Technical Committee emc-pstc discussion list. To cancel your subscription, send mail to: [email protected] with the single line: unsubscribe emc-pstc For help, send mail to the list administrators: Jim Bacher: [email protected] Michael Garretson: [email protected] For policy questions, send mail to: Richard Nute: [email protected]
