Coalition addresses OSHA product-approval process

As OSHA considers using Supplier’s Declaration of Conformity as an alternative to third-party certification of electrical products, a coalition led by NEMA recently voiced its disapproval of the proposed policy switch.

By Plant Engineering Staff December 12, 2008

A coalition of 18 organizations recently expressed concern regarding OSHA ’s consideration of a proposal to adopt Supplier’s Declaration of Conformity (SDoC) as an alternative to third-party certification of electrical products used in American workplaces. The National Electrical Manufacturers Association submitted a letter to Thomas M. Stohler, acting assistant secretary for occupational safety and health, on the coalition’s behalf.
At the request of the European Commission, OSHA in October published in the Federal Register a request for information on a proposal to permit the use of an SDoC as an alternative to the nationally recognized testing laboratories’ product-approval process. In their response to Stohler, NEMA and its coalition allies stressed the safety benefits of using third-party certification for electrical products and commended OSHA’s NRTL program as a cost-effective and efficient avenue for ensuring the safety of American workers.
“We are hopeful that OSHA will not be influenced by false claims that international trade priorities necessitate replacing the well-established NRTL program with SDoC,” NEMA president and CEO Evan R. Gaddis said. “It would be unwise to compromise the most successful electrical safety system in the world.”
To view a copy of the letter and a complete list of coalition members, please click here . More information on the story is available here .