Many appliances are tested for safety but few manufacturers know exactly what the regulations are or what happens to appliances during testing. In today's challenging world of complex regulatory requirements and safety standards, it is hard to keep track of what is required to be compliant nationally and when a manufacturer decides to go global, it gets further complex as the requirements vary by country and by product. Each appliance has its own standard. They are non-harmonised not just between the various types of appliance but also the individual country requirements.
Safety Standards Vary In Different Countries
For example, Europe and certain other countries use, with minor modifications, IEC 60335-1 “Household and Similar Electrical Appliances – Safety” as a base standard with various sections that specifies the requirements based on a specific type of product. In the U.S. standards are developed by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) which are then used by official third party agencies to certify products. In Canada, the standards are developed by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) and are accredited by the SCC (Standards Council of Canada).
Navigating The Various Steps Of Product Safety Testing
An appliance product safety testing consists of several steps including documentation review, physical construction of a product, review of product components, electrical assembly etc… Products are tested against the various requirements outlined in a standard. Appliances are tested to ensure that they do not pose a risk of electric shock, fire, mechanical or other hazards. Testing may include, but is not limited to: power consumption, ground continuity, dielectric withstand, insulation resistance, touch current, capacitor discharge, temperature, stability and impact, abnormal and fault conditions.
We have published several articles and whitepapers to help assist appliance manufacturers. Click here to download our free resources: Energy Star for Consumer Electronics; Basics of Appliance Safety, Regulatory Compliance for a Successful Product Launch.
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