The way the term "NRTL" has been used here is 
mostly wrong.  I want to clarify what the term
"NRTL" means.
 
In the U.S.A., NRTL certification is NOT 
mandatory.  Safety certification is NOT 
mandatory. 
 
The U.S.A. has two sets of drivers for safety
certification of electrical products:
 
1)  The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA);
2)  The local electrical code.
 
The U.S.A. OSHA law applies to employers.  The
electrical products used by employees in the 
workplace must be certified for safety by a 
NRTL.  (Employers have alternatives to NRTL
certified products, but that is not discussed
here.)  
 
So, to comply with the OSHA law, employers 
purchase electrical products that are certified 
by a NRTL.  
 
The term "NRTL" does not apply to any other 
situation.  
 
As has been mentioned, certification by a "NRTL" 
is NOT a requirement for electrical equipment 
manufacturers; it is a requirement for employers 
and the workplace.
 
In the U.S.A., the local electrical code is 
part of the local building code.  In most code
jurisdictions, the electrical code requires the
parts used for electrical construction and
installation be certified for safety.  The
"accepted" certifications are set by the local
Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ).  
 
No relationship exists between OSHA and local
AHJs.  These are independent entities.
 
Therefore, NRTL certification does not 
guarantee acceptance by an AHJ.  
 
Having said that, some (but not all) AHJs defer 
to the NRTL scheme for approval of labs that 
can issue safety certifications that can be 
accepted.
 
Most NRTLs are accepted by most AHJs.  
 
As has been mentioned here, some retailers and
most medical facilities require electrical
equipment be certified for safety.  The labs
that can satisfy this requirement are specified
by the retailer or medical facility as a part
of their purchase order.  (Some retailers and
some medical facilities actually test the
equipment safety before accepting the equipment!)
 
Most NRTLs are accepted by most retailers and
most medical facilities.
 

-----Original Message-----
From: emc-p...@ieee.org [mailto:emc-p...@ieee.org] On Behalf Of Ron Wellman
Sent: Thursday, January 05, 2012 8:49 PM
To: peterh...@aol.com; EMC-PSTC@LISTSERV.IEEE.ORG
Subject: RE: Mandatory NRTL certification



NRTL certification/listing is not mandatory for product Manufacturers. This
is a Customer driven requirement so your Customers can comply with local
OSHA requirements. If you don't want to list or certify your product that's
really a Marketing call. Also, it is my experience that most large Companies
require third party approvals as a condition of sale. Therefore, unless you
want to be reactive to Customer sales I would make sure your Marketing
people understand the risk of losing a sale if your product is not
certified/listed by an NRTL.

 

Best regards,

Ron Wellman

 

From: emc-p...@ieee.org [mailto:emc-p...@ieee.org] On Behalf Of
peterh...@aol.com
Sent: Thursday, January 05, 2012 5:41 PM
To: EMC-PSTC@LISTSERV.IEEE.ORG
Subject: Mandatory NRTL certification

 

Hello All,

 

Today a colleague asked me a question as to why do we need NRTL
certification such as UL or CSA on any product in the US. I thought this was
a good and logical question and the way I answered it was that to the best
of my knowledge, OSHA requires that any products that is used in work place
to be safe and to have been certified by one of the NRTL labs. Would you say
that is a correct answer? 

 

Thank you

Peter

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