Product category:
R&D, Test and Evaluation Services
News Release from: TUV Rheinland UK | Subject: Certification for North America
Edited by the Processingtalk Editorial
Team on 19 August 2004
Alternative to UL certification for
North America
TUV Rheinland is one of 18 Nationally Recognised Testing Laboratories authorised to certify equipment listed in the 37 OSHA product categories for export to North America.
Historically, it was widely believed that all manufactures exporting to North America needed a UL mark in order to get access to the American market However, this changed in 1988 when OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) introduced regulations allowing private sector companies to become Nationally Recognised Testing Laboratories (NRTLs)
This article was originally published on Processingtalk on 23 Apr 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
CE mark recognition in the USA and Canada
In the US and Canada is the CE mark or certification of equipment by foreign testing organisations accepted? It is not comparable with the NRTL listing as required by OSHA and the local jurisdictions!
Currently, there are 18 NRTLs that are authorised to certify equipment listed in the 37 OSHA product categories which cover electrical conductors and equipment used in the US workplace.
This means that manufacturers of such products are legally forced to use an NRTL otherwise they are not allowed to sell them in the USA.
Other companies draw on NRTLs because of the fear of being sued in court even when they are not bound by the aforementioned categories.
Permitting companies, like TUV Rheinland, to become an NRTL was a significant step towards avoiding distortion of competition.
However, work still needs to be done to communicate that there are alternatives to the UL mark; therefore, OSHA and the American Council of Independent Laboratories (ACIL) have built an alliance to increase the awareness of NRTLs.
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