Are you ready for

Electrical Safety Testing?

A short guide to preparing for safety itesting
of electrical and electronic products

Alastair McLaughlin
TÜV SÜD Product Service

TÜV SÜD Product Service 15-07-15 Customer Day 2015 Slide 1

Who am I?

Name Alastair McLaughlin

Title: Product Safety Specialist

Employer: TÜV SÜD Product Service

Over 20 years experience in compliance management and product testing.

Experience: Worked for retail suppliers, major children’s product manufacturers and TÜV
SÜD Product Service.

Telephone: +44 (0)1789 731 155

E-mail: alastair.mclaughlin@tuv-sud.co.uk

TÜV SÜD Product Service 15-07-15 Customer Day 2015 Slide 2

Contents

1 Submitting for Safety Testing

Selection of test standards

Requesting a quote

Safety critical components

Hints and tips to minimise failures

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Submitting for Testing

Selection of standards
• IEC electrical safety standards
– EN standards for electrical safety are derived from IEC standard
– Similarly many UL standards are derived from IEC
– EN and UL standards include group and national differences

• Editions of the standard

– Harmonised standards in the EU give a presumption of conformity
– European Commission’s Official Journal (OJ) lists the current harmonised standards
– IEC webstore gives latest editions and amendments of the IEC standards

• National differences
– Many European Standards impose Special National Conditions (SNCs)
– SNCs are mandatory when the product is supplied in those nations

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Submitting for Testing

• Regulations, directives and laws tell us products must be safe

• Technical standards give the means to prove safety

– IEC 60065 (AV equipment)

– IEC 60335 (household appliances)
– IEC 60950 (office and IT equipment)
– IEC 61010 (lab and control equipment)
– IEC 62368 (AV and IT equipment)

 etc (specialist standards for other safety requirements)

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Submitting for Safety Testing

Types of Safety Testing

There are two approaches to safety testing

• Type testing:
– A one-off test on a sample of the product.
– Does not guarantee future product quality
 CE marking (for inclusion in technical file)
 CB Scheme (as basis for obtaining international acceptance & certification)

• Product certification:
– An ongoing partnership between manufacturer and certification body
– Initial testing of product
– Regular factory inspections where the product is made
– Certification mark permitted on the product

– Benefits of certification:
 Market access
 Consumer confidence
 Ongoing production quality
 Marketing advantage

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Submitting for Safety Testing

Preparing in Advance: Design Stage

• Ensure design engineers are aware of safety requirements

• Seek advice from 3rd parties

– Enlist a consultant

– Consider a 3rd party design review at an early stage of development

 Highlight any issues with the design
 Avoid re-design at a later stage
 Advice on component and material selection

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Submitting for Safety Testing

Preparing in Advance: Design Stage

• Select pre-approved components and materials

– Reduce testing requirements

– Avoid potential failures

– Avoid having to change / re-source components

– Know your target markets

 UL and EN standards required for US and EU respectively

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Submitting for Safety Testing

• Requesting a Quotation
– Know your market
 Different test requirements for different markets

– Provide as much information as possible

 Product description / Brochures
 Photos / drawings
 Define power requirements
 Specify other facilities required (water, drainage, compressed air etc.)
 Fan speed control or air conditioning incorporated in the product
 Timescales required
 Budget constraints

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Submitting for Safety Testing

• Collate documentation before submitting

– Circuit diagrams & schematics
– Parts listings
– Mechanical & exploded drawings
– Critical component approvals information
– User and service manuals
– Rating label drawings
– List all accessories and parts required to be included with the product
– Define product families
– List all production facilities

• Ensure that the equipment is suitably configured for testing

– Worst case normal load conditions
– Prepare support equipment loads & cabling
– Provide clear operating instructions
– Write test software

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Submitting for Safety Testing

• Find out how many samples are required

– Complete product
– Power supplies
– Fuses, thermal cut-outs and other components
– Plastic parts

• On-site testing can often be the most efficient way of testing

– 100% of our engineers attention
– All your support facilities available
– Issues can be resolved face to face
– Fix your problems and clear non-compliances in parallel with the testing

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Submitting for Safety Testing

Safety Critical Components & Materials

• Which Components are Safety Critical?

– Mains components:
 Mains plugs and cords
 Appliance couplers
 Fuse and fuseholders
 Wiring
 Power supplies
 X and Y-capacitors
 Transformers

– Other components:
 DC-DC converters
 Fans
 Enclosure materials
 Connectors
 PCB material
 Thermistors and PTCs

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Submitting for Safety Testing

Selection of Materials and Components

Must be selected and arranged to perform over the expected life of the equipment
without creating any hazard
• Compatible
– with other materials or chemicals used
• Reliable
– construction and arrangement
– in normal operation and fault conditions
• Used within their specified ratings
• Approved
– to relevant component safety standards

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Submitting for Safety Testing

Safety Critical Components & Materials

• Component approvals – IEC and EN investigations

– Current test certificate / report
 Note - some certificates have expiry dates
– Relevant IEC / EN standard
– In English
– From a CB, CCA or LVD accredited test laboratory
 (e.g. TÜV SÜD Product Service, VDE)
– Must include all relevant information
 some certificates are made up of many pages, all should be supplied

– If the test certificate does not give all of the required details then a copy of the test
report may be required
 e.g.: power supply units – more detailed information is required
– i.e. maximum rated ambient, classification of outputs, method of mains isolation

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Submitting for Safety Testing

Safety Critical Components & Materials

• Self-declaration may also be accepted

– A certificate of conformity (CofC), manufacturer’s declaration
– You remain responsible that the component is suitably approved
– This will be stated in any test report issued

• For a Third Party Certification, self-declaration is NOT acceptable

– 3rd party approved components MUST be used
– (e.g. TÜV SÜD PS, UL, CB, VDE)

• Note: do not rely statements like “designed to meet” or “complies with ENxxxx”
– These are NOT evidence of suitable component approvals

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Submitting for Safety Testing

Safety Critical Components & Materials

• Flammability of Materials
– Plastic or non-metallic materials
– Compliance may be based on testing, and/or suitable documentary evidence
– Applicable standards: UL 94, IEC 60695

– To assess the suitability of the materials, the following information is required:

 Manufacturer name (eg: GE Plastics, 3M)
 Name and part number of the material (e.g. Lexan, LX437)
 Approval body’s file number (e.g. UL E12345)
 Flammability rating (e.g. V-1, V-2, HB, HF2)
 Thickness of material used

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Submitting for Safety Testing

US / Canadian Investigations

• All safety critical components and materials must have current NRTL (Nationally
Recognized Test Laboratory) listing or recognition
– The following information is required:
 The name of the company that holds the NRTL approval
 The type or model number of the component
 The NRTL file number (e.g. UL E56789)

• Obtain a copy of the NRTL approval

– From the approval holder, or the manufacturer of the component/part
– or from the NRTL’s website

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Submitting for Safety Testing

US / Canadian Investigations

• Transformers with an insulation Class higher than Class A

– NRTL certification requires a NRTL Recognised insulation system (OBJY2) to be

employed.
– A recognised insulation system is a combination of materials that have been tested
together for suitability of use in prolonged high temperature conditions

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Submitting for Safety Testing

• UL Power Supply Listing

Ratings
Model number

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Submitting for Safety Testing

• Example of VDE listing

Model number
Ratings

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Submitting for Safety Testing

• CB Certificates

– Test report forms part of certificate

Ratings

Model number

Test standard

Number of pages

TÜV SÜD Product Service 15-07-15 Customer Day 2015 Slide 21

Submitting for Safety Testing

• NRTL Certificates

Ratings

Model number

Test standard
Number of pages

TÜV SÜD Product Service 15-07-15 Customer Day 2015 Slide 22

Submitting for Safety Testing

On-Line Approvals Links

• TÜV SÜD Product Service

– https://www.tuev-sued.de/industry_and_consumer_products/certificates
– x
• ASTA and BEAB
– http://www.astabeab.com/buyers.htm
– x
• CSA
– http://directories.csa-international.org/
– x
• ENEC
– http://www.enec.com/dev/recherche.php?soc=ENEC&s=2
– x
• Intertek
– http://etlwhidirectory.etlsemko.com/WebClients/ITS/DLP/products.nsf/$$Search?OpenForm
– x
• ÖVE
– http://www.ove.at/puz/reg/form.php
– x
• UL
– http://database.ul.com/cgi-bin/XYV/template/LISEXT/1FRAME/index.htm
– X
• VDE
– http://www.vde.de/VDE_PI_en/Zertifizierungsregister/detailSearch

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Submitting for Safety Testing

Hints and Tips

• Ensure support is available during testing

– Select a nominated technical contact

• Attend on first day to assist with set up

• Respond to non-compliances as a package

• Advise when you are going to send new samples

TÜV SÜD Product Service 15-07-15 Customer Day 2015 Slide 24

 Summary
Submitting for Safety Testing
• Selection of test standards
• Requesting a quote
• Hints and tips to minimise failures

TÜV SÜD Product Service 15-07-15 Customer Day 2015 Slide 25

Thank you for
listening
Alastair McLaughlin
Product Safety Specialist
TÜV SÜD Product Service
Tel: +44 (0)1789 731155
alastair.mclaughlin@tuv-sud.co.uk

TÜV SÜD Product Service 15-07-15 Customer Day 2015 Slide 26