Do not necessarily disagree, but there are some problems. Am guessing that this 
is referencing 29CFR1910.303. Also have this excerpt from an OSHA memo in my 
database:

"The testing standard will typically specify how the product is to be marked or 
labeled and what instructions for installation and use must be provided. Thus, 
an employer would be in violation of 29 CFR 1910.303(b)(2) if its installation 
or use of equipment, such as energy management equipment, is not consistent 
with the NRTL-required markings and labeling or the installation and use 
instructions required for that equipment."

So herein lurks a common problem - NRTL writes ITE report for Class III 
equipment where conditions of acceptability indicate use of a source certified 
as an inherently limited Class 2 'LPS'(probably UL1310/CSA 223 source). NRTL 
says no agency mark needed. But administrative law can be interpreted for 
mandatory 'mark', but the government has, on several instances, say that 
marking requirements are the scope of the NRTL.

Also note that article 725 of NEC is oft used by an AHJ inspector to determine 
if the voltage/power/energy level indicates that no further consideration for 
safety of equipment is necessary, where the install is not permanent and not 
part of building wiring.

Choose your poison.

Brian

-----Original Message-----
From: emc-p...@ieee.org [mailto:emc-p...@ieee.org]On Behalf Of Kevin Robinson
Sent: Friday, November 16, 2012 5:34 PM
To: Chuck McDowell
Cc: Mcburney, Ian; emc-p...@ieee.org
Subject: Re: Product safety requirements

If the product powered from a certified SELV, power limited supply will be used 
or installed in a workplace in the US, then it is subject to OSHA NRTL approval 
requirements and the mixer would be required to be certified by an NRTL.  OSHA 
regulations do not provide an exception to the approval requirements based on 
the voltage/current from an external power supply. 

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me directly. 

Kevin Robinson
Engineer & Senior Auditor
OSHA NRTL Program
202-693-1911
robinson.ke...@dol.gov
On Nov 16, 2012, at 7:21 PM, Chuck McDowell <chu...@meyersound.com> wrote:

In America, a few years ago at Lucent, we built a DSL device that was remotely 
powered by a separate power supply with a NEC ANSI/NFPA 70 Class 2 DC output. 
The power supply had a NRTL safety marking, and as you suggest, the DSL device 
itself did not carry a NRTL safety mark, only EMC and Fcc approval marks.

Chuck McDowell
Meyer Sound Laboratories Inc.

From: emc-p...@ieee.org [mailto:emc-p...@ieee.org] On Behalf Of Aldous, Scott
Sent: Friday, November 16, 2012 8:36 AM
To: Mcburney, Ian; emc-p...@ieee.org
Subject: RE: Product safety requirements

You would need to make sure that the output of the power supply is a Limited 
Power Source in order to deal with fire hazards. The nameplate output ratings 
are necessary but insufficient information to determine if a fire hazard may be 
present. Also, it is possible that your regulators (maybe just the boost) could 
produce voltages internally that would be considered a shock hazard, which 
would require evaluation of the output circuits as SELV. There are a wide 
variety of DC/DC converters commercially available that have SELV inputs and 
SELV outputs which nonetheless still have 3rd party safety certifications. You 
should be able to find a certified one OTS (or multiple converters) that will 
work for you if you don’t want to deal with the certification piece yourself. 
Maybe that defeats the purpose of what you are trying to do since you could 
just as easily find OTS certified AC/DC power supplies.

Technical considerations aside, you could always run into trouble with any 
given local authority or customs official wanting to see certification on your 
mixer, not just on the power supply that connects to it or that it ships with.

Also, you should be aware that most notebook power supplies nowadays have more 
than just the power output pins – they have feedback signals that are intended 
to keep the supplies in a low power consumption mode when the computer is in 
the off state in order to comply with various efficiency regulations. If you 
don’t provide the right signal, you won’t get power out of them.

Scott Aldous
Compliance Engineer
AE Solar Energy

  +1.970.492.2065 Direct
  +1.970.407.5872 Fax
  +1.541.312.3832 Main
scott.ald...@aei.com


1625 Sharp Point Drive
Fort Collins, CO 80525

www.advanced-energy.com/solarenergy


From: emc-p...@ieee.org [mailto:emc-p...@ieee.org] On Behalf Of Mcburney, Ian
Sent: Friday, November 16, 2012 8:24 AM
To: emc-p...@ieee.org
Subject: Product safety requirements

Dear Colleagues

We are a manufacturer of audio mixing consoles with a range that varies from A4 
size up to large 2m long 2 man lift consoles.
Most have internal ac/dc power supplies.
We are researching changing the way we power are future products to rationalise 
the psu range as worldwide approval costs increase.
One of the options is to purchase 60-80W PC laptop power supplies and power the 
smaller mixers from the DC output of the external laptop supply.
The DC output voltage from a laptop PSU is typically 19V. However; most mixers 
require typically +/-15V, +10V & +48V internal voltage rails.
We propose to buck regulate the +/-15V and +10V rails & boost the +48V rail 
from the 19V DC input.
If the total power consumption of the mixer was no more than 80W and the +48V 
was current limited to no more than 1 Amp, would the mixer require approval 
testing for north America or any other country as the input voltage would only 
be 19V DC.
Obviously the external ac to dc laptop power supply would have all the 
necessary approvals; probably to IEC60950 and be class 1 construction.

Your opinions would be appreciated.

Thank you in advance;

Ian McBurney
Design Engineer

Allen & Heath Ltd
Kernick Industrial Estate
Penryn, Cornwall
TR10 9LU
United Kingdom

+44 (0)1326 370121

ian.mcbur...@dmh-global.com
www.allen-heath.com
A DMH Pro Company.

-
----------------------------------------------------------------
This message is from the IEEE Product Safety Engineering Society emc-pstc 
discussion list. To post a message to the list, send your e-mail to 
<emc-p...@ieee.org>

All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at:
http://www.ieee-pses.org/emc-pstc.html

Attachments are not permitted but the IEEE PSES Online Communities site at 
http://product-compliance.oc.ieee.org/ can be used for graphics (in well-used 
formats), large files, etc.

Website:  http://www.ieee-pses.org/
Instructions:  http://listserv.ieee.org/request/user-guide.html
List rules: http://www.ieee-pses.org/listrules.html

For help, send mail to the list administrators:
Scott Douglas <emcp...@radiusnorth.net>
Mike Cantwell <mcantw...@ieee.org>

For policy questions, send mail to:
Jim Bacher:  <j.bac...@ieee.org>
David Heald: <dhe...@gmail.com>

Reply via email to