Safety agnecy approvals
Safety agnecy approvals
(OP)
I am curious to know what safety agency approvals companies require of their motor control equipment (low voltage). This may include UL, CSA, CE, etc.. Does anyone not require UL or CSA for their motor control equipment in the North America? Do you just go by previous experience with the inspector for that particular area? Thanks





RE: Safety agnecy approvals
Mark Empson
http://www.lmphotonics.com
RE: Safety agnecy approvals
RE: Safety agnecy approvals
And as Marke indicates, any custom control panels must have UL508 label. This is not that difficult to obtain, but you do have to specify it.
I wouldn't even consider buying LV equipment without a UL label. This doesn't mean I think the UL label is buying any additional quality, but it is just a fact of life that equipment must be labeled to pass inspection.
Medium-voltage metal-clad switchgear and large dry-type transformers must have UL labels also.
RE: Safety agnecy approvals
RE: Safety agnecy approvals
My problem with the whole UL issue is their prices are going through the roof as well as their turn around time. Yes, there is 3rd parties but they still require a UL review of their data so the turn around time is often the same. The third parties are not much cheaper either, since UL has to review it, they still have to be paid. CSA on the other hand, has good turn around times and prices. Unfortunately, that doesn't do much good in the US, but it should be equivalent. CSA, however, does not look at plastics, whereas UL does. This includes enclosures. I wanted to develop a product but would not get UL or CSA on it right away, due to cost, but would be able to put CE on it (can self certify with CE-do own testing, etc). How marketable is a product in the US and Canada without UL or CSA mark but with CE? Probably not very marketable because of inspectors. CE is even more stringent than UL or CSA.
Gordon, You say it has to be equivalent to CSA, what would be an equivalent? A UL stamp? Is the acceptance of the 'equivalent' a given or will it depend on the inspector that comes that day? Thanks to all
RE: Safety agnecy approvals
For large custom items it is quite common to get a special inspection from the local authority, but for a "mass" produced item I'm sure the cost would be prohibitive.
All of our purchase orders require CSA or equivalent, or special inspection at the vendors cost. I don't have a rule handy to back it up, by I think it is actually illegal to sell something without an approval.
RE: Safety agnecy approvals
The inspector your referring to that accepts cUL, is it a provincial inspector? I think CSA inspectors are more likely to accept a cUL mark in Canada than the US inspectors are to accept CSA.
RE: Safety agnecy approvals
RE: Safety agnecy approvals
RE: Safety agnecy approvals
RE: Safety agnecy approvals
Rule 2-024 of the CEC states electrical equipment shall be approved.
Approved as applied to electrical equipment is defined in Section 0 of the CEC as meaning, unless otherwise defined by the authority enforcing the Code, that such equipment has been submitted for examination and testing to an acceptable certification agency, that formal certification has been given to the agency to the effect that the equipment conforms to the appropriate CSA standards, and that the certification report has been adopted by not less than two-thirds of the Provincial Inspection Authorities.
In British Columbia, Directive No. 01/96 of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, Electrical and Elevating Devices Safety, further details the acceptance of electrical equipment over 750 volts.
Note 2 of the directive states in part "If it can be shown that no equipment certification program exists for a particular type of equipment, a special inspection label is acceptable."
RE: Safety agnecy approvals
In Alberta, there is a Province-wide variance (which has the effect of similar to a Code regulation) that accepts 'non-certified liquid filled transformers' provided they are built to CSA standards and the tests results prove it.
For other equipment, it is up to the Electrical Safety Codes Officer (equivalent to an Electrical Inspector) to make the call. One option is the Special Inspection program by CSA, Warnock-Hersey, Entela, and other certified agencies.
The definition of approved equipment, or any other Code rule for that matter, can be modified or changed by the Province.
RE: Safety agnecy approvals
RE: Safety agnecy approvals
The laws governing electrical installations in the U.S. are local in nature. States and localities generally use the NEC as the basis for their codes, but are not required to. They also add additional restrictions and requirements as they see fit.
I'm not a lawyer, but it seems to me that the necessity for UL or equivalent labeling is basically the law of the land here in Oregon, at least as a practical matter.
And as a P.E., I'd be nuts to knowingly permit use of something not UL-labeled when a UL-labeled alternative exists.
RE: Safety agnecy approvals
Touching on another point that few realize: A UL listed product does not have any other requirements (at least from UL) to be listed whereas a UR(backwards R U), UL recognized, part does have additional requirements to be UL listed. This may include, for example, UL recognized fast on connectors or terminal blocks, and fusing (if spacing requirements are not met)
RE: Safety agnecy approvals
Touching on another point that few realize: A UL listed product does not have any other requirements (at least from UL) to be listed whereas a UR(backwards R U), UL recognized, part does have additional requirements to be UL listed. This may include, for example, UL recognized fast on connectors or terminal blocks, and fusing (if spacing requirements are not met on the PCB).
RE: Safety agnecy approvals
It does depend on the inspector and their knowledge unfortunately. Most of the electrical standards for machinery for Europe and North America say the same thing. All critical components must be approved to their applicable design standard. The final system standards allow you to test a component if it's not approved, in it's final application. This is usually done with an agency who has already agreed upon accepting that information in place of the approved copmponent. Of course this is assuming you plan to provide final certification to the end system.
If you don't provide final system certification then you can't ship to Europe so that market could not be considered. If you ship to North America you take the chance of local Electrical Inspectors requireing Field Evaluation certification. That means that a NRTL (Natiopnally Reconized Testing Laboratory)must give their approval. Again this would close out this market if you did not have approved components. An Inspector if they're smart will not accept a critical component that has not been pretested.
One last thing both CSA and UL have an understanding, if only one mark appears on the system UL or CSA and you are working with someone at an agency who knows their stuff. They Can usually get the other agency to agree to accept the other mark with some minor verification.
Christopher Caserta
ccaserta@enorthhampton.com
Ph:904-225-0360
RE: Safety agnecy approvals