> Is it required that Bellcore 1089 testing be conducted at an NRTL
approved
> lab? (Products would be sold to BROC's) Does this pertain only to
specific
> portions of the testing or to the whole program?
Tricky business:
(1) There is no US regulatory requirement that calls for compliance with
Bellcore specifications. The Bellcore owners are public utilities and
exempt from the National Electrical Code, for equipment used on the
contiguous property of public utilities. Meeting Bellcore specifications
is a business issue, not a regulatory issue.
(2) These days there are any number of service providers that are not
public utilities, who are not exempted from the National Electrical Code.
Their equipment, which may be the same equipment as is being used by the
public utilities, must be "approved for the purpose" under the National
Electrical Code.
(3) Because the American National Standard is rapidly becoming an IEC 60
950
derivative (UL1950/CSA950) which was not developed by the telecom industry
but by the data processing industry, some telecom equipment will use
voltages that are in excess of what the IEC publication allows. The old
standards UL1459/CSA225 can accomodate that, as does the Bellcore
specification.
Now we are back to "who is the client". If the client is a public utility,
exempt from the National Electrical Code, you can have the equipment tested
and/or certified, by whomsoever is acceptable to your client.
If the client is subject to the National Electrical Code, the "approval for
the purpose" should be done by an agency acceptable to the authorities
having jurisdiction. There are some 4500 authorities in the USA. Most of
them accept certification by a NRTL, most of the time. (Mind you, they do
not HAVE TO).
Some NRTLs are better known than others, so which one you pick becomes a
marketing issue, that has nothing to do with the capabilities of the NRTLs.
(Your
marketing VP will take a dim view of the installation crew sitting on their
hands while you are arguing with the local inspector that the marks on your
equipment are as good as the marks they are more familiar with). Some
NRTLs have spend a great deal of effort to make sure that all inspectors in
all 4500 jurisdictions know their mark.
Your clients may specify one, because their insurance agency happens to
specify a particular one.
Now, as to what standard you should test to, that again is an issue between
you and the client. The NEC only asks that the equipment be approved for
the purpose and does not specify to which standard. It is pretty much like
the European LVD which only says that you should meet the essential
requirements. As in Europe, there is an assumption that you meet the
essential requirements if you meet the American National Standard for such
equipment. The Bellcore specification is not an American National
Standard.
I am so happy that I was able to explain the few simple choices you have.
Ciao,
Vic
PS. At great personal risk, the following NRTLs will probably most used
for electrical safety:
Canadian Standards Association (CSA)
Communication Certification Laboratory (CCL)
Electro-Test Inc. (ETI)
Entela Inc. (ENT)
Factory Mutual Research Corp. (FMRC)
Intertek Testing Services NA Inc (ITS), formerly ETL
Met Laboratories Inc. (MET)
TUV Rheinland of North America Inc. (TUV)
Underwriters Laboratories (UL)
Wyle Laboratories (WL)
Please, nobody shoot me. VB
