OSHA: No Self-Declaration of Conformity for Workplace Electrical Products Dec 17, 2010

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The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) said it will continue to require third-party certification via the Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) program for electrical products used in American workplaces and refrain from adopting Supplier’s Declaration of Conformity (SDoC), as the European Commission had requested.

Electrical manufacturing industry association NEMA said the OSHA decision endorses the position NEMA took in comments to OSHA in January 2009.

"OSHA should be applauded for its commitment to third-party certification to enhance electrical safety in U.S. workplaces,” said NEMA President and CEO Evan R. Gaddis. “The existing NRTL program provides an efficient and cost-effective way to ensure the installation and use of safe, reliable products."

The decision, which will be published officially in the Federal Register on Dec. 17, 2010, is a formal response to comments received on the Request for Information (RFI) issued in October 2008. The RFI was initiated at the request of the European Commission to permit an SDoC system in the U.S. similar to the one allowed in the European Union.

OSHA’s response, however, finds that “the record contains no statistically sound evidence demonstrating that an SDoC system provides a high degree of protection for electrical safety in the workplace, and what evidence there is raises concerns that the SDoC system may be less protective than the NRTL system.”

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