Product category:
Compliance Engineering
News Release from: TUV Rheinland UK | Subject: US/Canada approvals
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 26 April 2004
CE marked equipment fails in North
America
The CE mark or certification of equipment by foreign testing organisations does not carry much weight in the USA and Canada, says Glenn Moffat of TUV International.
In the USA there are over 4000 local jurisdictions responsible for the safety of equipment These jurisdictions may operate at state, county or city level and are known as AHJ
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 24 Jan 2002 at 8.00am (UK)
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The knowledge of the AHJ varies from state to state and from city to city and increasingly they are relying on evidence of listing or labelling by a third party to ensure they are not subject to lawsuits.
Often, jurisdictions and contractors are confronted with equipment that bears a CE-Mark.
Some wonder what the CE-mark stands for and if it is acceptable as a proof that the equipment is listed or labelled by a nationally recognised testing laboratory (NRTL) such as TUV Rheinland, UL or others.
Further reading
Labelling before export avoids red-tagging
When a product is put onto the US market does it need to be NRTL (Nationally Recognised Testing Laboratory) listed or labelled? The answer is usually yes.
Electrical testing under the EU microscope
EN50191:2001 "Erection and operation of electrical test equipment" has implications for all manufacturers: any area where electrical testing is undertaken may fall within the scope of the standard.
As CE marking is a European requirement based on self-declaration to European requirements, it is not comparable with the NRTL listing as required by OSHA and the local jurisdictions (AHJ).
CE-marked equipment will not comply with the National Electric Code (NEC) requirement for listed or labelled equipment in accordance with sections 110.2 and 110.3.
Additionally rule 2-024 of the Canadian Electrical Code (CEC) requires items to be approved by a body accredited by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC).
The US and Canadian requirements are for: third-party safety certification by an independent and OSHA/SCC accredited testing lab instead of a voluntary self-certification by the manufacturer; and evaluation to an approved US or Canadian standard for safety of electrical equipment instead of compliance to a European standard.
The AHJ inspectors are becoming more vigilant when approving the installation of electric systems.
If AHJ inspectors see any CE-marked equipment, they are likely to red-tag the equipment and seek an NRTL listing or a third-party field inspection by a capable NRTL.
As approval of noncompliant equipment that is unsafe to operate may cause hazards, litigation related costs can cause significant problems for the owners and the local jurisdiction, all are well advised to seek a third-party field evaluation of the CE-marked equipment by a qualified NRTL such as TUV Rheinland.
TUV Rheinland has well trained engineers that are experienced with European and other internationally manufactured equipment.
The company provides the jurisdictions with advice and answers to questions.
TUV Rheinland will provide customers with competitive pricing and a fast turn-around time, a globally respected field label and pre- and post-evaluation advice and guidance.
TUV Rheinland provides a unique service where equipment can be assessed at its source in Europe and a preliminary field evaluation label can be applied, in exceptional circumstances the field label may also be applied at source without the need for a further visit at the installation site.
This saves costs (testing costs are lower in Europe than the USA and Canada, and modifications can be made at the manufacturing site), finds problems at an early stage and improves timescales once the equipment has been installed.
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