And a predecessor company to Intertek (Electrical Testing Laboratories) was founded by Thomas Edison in 1896.
-Dave From: Pete Perkins [mailto:00000061f3f32d0c-dmarc-requ...@ieee.org] Sent: Monday, July 25, 2016 6:52 PM To: EMC-PSTC@LISTSERV.IEEE.ORG Subject: Re: [PSES] Safety requirements in US Scott, et al, I believe that someone else in this group could write a better history of UL but I’ll provide a condensed version… With the introduction of electricity in the latter part of the 1800’s in the US there were no ‘rules of engagement’ in application. Scott is correct, after the electrification of the Chicago World’s Fair and the ensuing fires the Insurance Underwriters panicked and looked for someone who would inspect all electrical installation in buildings (starting in Chicago, obviously) and give a good report before fire insurance would be issued for the facility. Henry Merrill saw the opportunity and accepted that job and began inspecting installations and, in the end, giving an OK to the insurance companies when it was done ‘right’. He quickly saw that he was looking at the same wire and components over and over again so approached the manufacturers with the proposition that if they would work with him to provide adequate components and wiring it would simplify the inspection work on-site and make approval easier. insurance companies agreed with the concept thus the Underwriter’s Laboratories were born. UL celebrated its 100th anniversary before the turn of the 21st century so they have been around for a while. I’m sure that the situation was similar in many developed countries at that time and similar organizations sprung up to meet the need to provide adequate protection for users. The IEC had its initial meeting in St Louis, MO, USA in 1904 and has been moving forward since. (Hmmmmm… not too bad for an amateur) Ok, history buffs, chime in too… (Maybe this should be a Friday discussion) :>) br, Pete Peter E Perkins, PE Principal Product Safety & Regulatory Affairs Consultant PO Box 23427 Tigard, ORe 97281-3427 503/452-1201 p.perk...@ieee.org<mailto:p.perk...@ieee.org> From: Scott [mailto:00000182a58d8335-dmarc-requ...@ieee.org] Sent: Monday, July 25, 2016 1:40 PM To: EMC-PSTC@LISTSERV.IEEE.ORG Subject: Re: [PSES] Safety requirements in US Hello all, I believe labeling/ listing first came into place as a response from insurance companies needing concise requirements defining fire hazards. Underwriters Laboratory did not come from a group of VC's that thought it was a cool name. Scott, the other- other Scott Sent from my iPhone On Jul 25, 2016, at 4:32 PM, Ted Eckert <000007cf6ebeab9d-dmarc-requ...@ieee.org<mailto:000007cf6ebeab9d-dmarc-requ...@ieee.org>> wrote: OK, now I’m going completely off topic, but here is my opinion. This is only my opinion and it does not necessarily reflect the opinion of my company or anybody else. I completely agree with Pete that consolidation is unlikely. Congressional leaders reward members of their caucus by giving them committee positions, and those committees become minor fiefdoms that congress members defend jealously. Different organizations fall under the oversight of different congressional committees. No one committee appears willing to give up the authority or budget for their area to another committee. Consolidation can happen, but only in extreme circumstances. Even then, it doesn’t necessarily solve the problem. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was created after the September 11, 2001 attacks. It consolidated a number of organizations that fell under numerous oversight committees. The result ended up having multiple committees reviewing DHS and approving the budget. I welcome comments from anybody who feels that organizations centralized under DHS have improved significantly due to the new structure. (Intelligence sharing may be an example, but intelligence sharing was banned 40 years ago because of domestic spying abuses. Will it work better this time? One common example of committees protecting their areas of interest is food safety. Let’s say you want to buy lunch at Taco Bell. (I wouldn’t recommend it, but it works for this example.) You order a beef burrito and it is covered under the food safety regulations of the USDA. Your friend orders a bean burrito and their lunch is covered by the FDA. It gets even stranger if somebody orders fish. Which department covers fish depends on the species of fish. An electrical device could fall under CPSC, OSHA, MSHA, the FAA, the FDA, the DoD or any one of a number of organizations for safety depending on its intended use. As much as I hate to say it, my job exist partly due to inefficiency in the regulatory environment. O.K., I’ve vented enough for now. I’ll close my eyes, count to ten slowly and then get back to work. Ted Eckert Microsoft Corporation The opinions expressed are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer. From: Pete Perkins [mailto:00000061f3f32d0c-dmarc-requ...@ieee.org] Sent: Monday, July 25, 2016 1:03 PM To: EMC-PSTC@LISTSERV.IEEE.ORG<mailto:EMC-PSTC@listserv.ieee.org> Subject: Re: [PSES] Safety requirements in US John, et al, The WEB definition of NRTL is quite narrow. As we explained earlier, Labeling/Listing by a NRTL approved lab is an NEC concept which is administered by OSHA. The placement of this responsibility came upon OSHA not by legislation but by litigation when a test lab challenged the premise that, altho Labeling/Listing was required, there was no way for additional test labs to get on the list. The battle went all the way to the US Supreme Court and OSHA lost and, subsequently, were forced to develop the NRTL acceptance program which they run today. Apparently the 2017 NEC will now require NRTL Labeling of products which will continue to be honored by all 10k US Jurisdictions and enforced by the AHJs in each. I personally don’t see any effort to simplify or consolidate the US system any time soon. Especially in the climate of Brexit and other forces presently at work. :>) br, Pete Peter E Perkins, PE Principal Product Safety & Regulatory Affairs Consultant PO Box 23427 Tigard, ORe 97281-3427 503/452-1201 p.perk...@ieee.org<mailto:p.perk...@ieee.org> From: John Woodgate [mailto:jmw1...@btinternet.com] Sent: Monday, July 25, 2016 11:53 AM To: EMC-PSTC@LISTSERV.IEEE.ORG<mailto:EMC-PSTC@LISTSERV.IEEE.ORG> Subject: Re: [PSES] Safety requirements in US From the WEB: NRTL Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories, or NRTLs, are third party organizations recognized by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) under Federal code 29 CFR 1910.7 to provide product safety testing and certification services for products used in the US workplace. With best wishes DESIGN IT IN! OOO – Own Opinions Only www.jmwa.demon.co.uk<http://www.jmwa.demon.co.uk/> J M Woodgate and Associates Rayleigh England Sylvae in aeternum manent. From: Scott Xe [mailto:scott...@gmail.com] Sent: Monday, July 25, 2016 5:42 PM To: EMC-PSTC@LISTSERV.IEEE.ORG<mailto:EMC-PSTC@LISTSERV.IEEE.ORG> Subject: Re: [PSES] Safety requirements in US Hi John, What is exact meaning of NRTL approved? Is it a sample for type examination against applicable safety standard without production audits? What are the differences between A2LA and NRTL? From: "Tyra, John" <john_t...@bose.com<mailto:john_t...@bose.com>> Reply-To: "Tyra, John" <john_t...@bose.com<mailto:john_t...@bose.com>> Date: Monday, 25 July 2016 at 10:14 PM To: <EMC-PSTC@LISTSERV.IEEE.ORG<mailto:EMC-PSTC@LISTSERV.IEEE.ORG>> Subject: Re: [PSES] Safety requirements in US Some states have legal requirements for electrical products to be NRTL approved From: Richard Nute [mailto:ri...@ieee.org] Sent: Sunday, July 24, 2016 8:26 PM To: EMC-PSTC@LISTSERV.IEEE.ORG<mailto:EMC-PSTC@LISTSERV.IEEE.ORG> Subject: Re: [PSES] Safety requirements in US Hi Scott: For consumer and household products, compliance with CPSC requirements is required. No. Only products considered “substantial product hazards” such as hair dryers need comply with CPSC requirements. However, any consumer product that injures someone is subject to CPSC recall order. What about OSHA? Electrical products that are used by employees are required to be NRTL certified. Best regards, Rich - ---------------------------------------------------------------- This message is from the IEEE Product Safety Engineering Society emc-pstc discussion list. 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