Conformity Magazine - November 2007 - (Page 25)

When is Field Evaluation Required There are two primary reasons for having a field evaluation performed: legal requirements, and products liability protection. Both are important reasons in their own right. Legal requirements for field evaluation are based on federal, state, and local jurisdictional laws and regulations that govern the safety requirements for machinery used in the workplace. Products liability protection is the requirement to demonstrate compliance with published safety standards in the event of a potential future injury or death associated with use of the machine. Legal requirements for field evaluation begin at the federal level. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the federal agency responsible for regulating machinery used in the workplace, has defined required types of products which require evaluation to published safety standards in order to be legally used in U.S. workplaces. OSHA defines types of equipment that require approval by a nationally recognized testing laboratory (NRTL)1. This list includes electrical conductors or equipment (which included, per OSHA definition, such equipment used in hazardous locations)2. All machine tools that are electrical equipment (e.g., they receive electrical power or generate electrical power for on-board use) are thus included, and require approval by an NRTL. State, county and municipal authorities follow the OSHA requirement by requiring electrical products to be approved before the product may be used in workplaces within the specific jurisdiction. These authorities, who enforce safety requirements for specific locations, are referred to as authorities having jurisdiction, or AHJs. The AHJ commonly looks to the National Electrical Code (NEC, published as the standard NFPA-70) for guidance on how to enforce NRTL approval requirements. The NEC, in Article 100, defines an approved product as “acceptable to the Authority Having Jurisdiction.” In light of the requirement by OSHA at the federal level, NRTL approval is the basis of acceptance by the AHJ. The NEC also defines how an AHJ may recognize that a particular piece of equipment has been approved by an NRTL. The NEC defines two methods of identification, “listed” and “labeled.” Listed is defined, in the NEC Article 100, as: “Equipment, materials, or services included in a list published by an organization that is acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction and concerned with evaluation of products or services, that maintains periodic inspection of production of listed equipment or materials or periodic evaluation of services, and whose listing states that the equipment, material, or services either meets appropriate designated standards or has been tested and found suitable for a specified purpose.” TA35 switching and overload protection in one compact package www.schurterinc.com/new_cbes series TA35 - thermal circuit breaker for equipment in 1-, 2- or 3-pole - current rating from 0.05 A to 20 A at 240 VAC/32-60 VDC and 3-pole up to 12 A at 415 VAC - rocker-actuating switch available in six different colors, illuminated and non-illuminated versions available - snap-in mounting for panel thicknesses ranging 1-4 mm - connections made with 6.3 x 0.8 mm quick-connect terminals - optional protective cover provides IP65 seal protection - approved according to IEC 60934, UL 1077, CSA C22.2 235 NOVEMBER 2007 CONFORMITY 25 http://www.schurterinc.com/new_cbes http://www.schurterinc.com/new_cbes

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Conformity Magazine - November 2007

Conformity - November 2007 Contents Editor’s Note Commission Sets Date, Terms for 700 MHz Auction FCC Reaffirms Roaming Obligations Commission Moves to Improve USF Management FCC Proposes Fines for Violations of E911 Handset Requirements Commission Levies $1 Million Plus Fines for Unsolicited Fax Advertisements GR-3150 - Lithium Battery Certification Levels Based on Criteria for General Product, Safety, and Performance, Part 2 ESD Open Forum Machinery Field Evaluation for the United States Validation, Verification, and Immunity Testing Techniques for EMC for Functional Safety Thermal/EMC Simulation Addresses New Mechanical Design Challenges Product Safety Equipment Buyer’s Guide FCC Releases Report on Telephone Numbering Resource Utilization Canada Still Has PCS Spectrum to Assign Updated Standards List for the EU’s Medical Devices Directive Updated Standards List for EU Directive on Active Implantable Medical Devices Call for Papers for the 2008 EOS/ESD Symposium Announced Mobile Phone Use in Hospitals May Be Dangerous CPSC Actions in the News IEC Standards Update UL Standards Update Telcordia Standards Update From Our “You Can’t Make This Stuff Up” Department Product Reviews Looking Back: Items from Past Issues of Conformity Upcoming Events Advertisers

Conformity Magazine - November 2007

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.