TÜV Rheinland Blog - Insights from Asia and Africa

OSHA Approves TÜV Rheinland Laboratories

Posted by TUV Rheinland on Aug 10, 2017 2:49:18 PM
TUV Rheinland

The United States Department of Labour’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has approved TÜV Rheinland’s laboratories in Cologne and Yokohama as recognized sites under the OSHA Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) Program. This is an important step in offering customers the perfect service for the US market.


OSHA is responsible for occupational safety and health in the United States. It created the NRTL program to ensure that certain types of equipment are tested and certified as safe for use in the workplace. OSHA also conducts audits to ensure that testing service providers are capable of evaluating equipment for conformance with the appropriate standards.

A sought-after sign of quality
"Certification provides concrete proof that a customer's product fulfills the specific safety standards applicable in the US market," explained TÜV Rheinland product safety expert, Mr Thomas Haupt.

"Although compliance with these standards isn’t mandatory for market launch, it is often requested in invitations to tender. Large companies especially appreciate it when products have been tested to applicable safety standards by a service provider accredited by OSHA,” said Mr Haupt.

TUV Rheinland Already North America-ready
TUV Rheinland North America is already NRTL approved. This enables it to certify products as compliant with U.S. standards, and allows customers to demonstrate this by affixing the TUVus mark to their product.

In addition, TUV Rheinland North America is also accredited by the Standards Council of Canada to test and certify products to Canadian National Standards. This is a tremendous advantage because it means customers can offer proof of compliance for both the Canada and the U.S. markets by applying a single cTUVus mark to their products.

Tailor-made processes for every market
As part of its internationally respected Market Access Services (MAS), TÜV Rheinland provides comprehensive support services to certify products in every significant aspect in a customer's intended market.

“All over the world, TÜV Rheinland experts get involved early – right from the planning stage – to make certain that a product satisfies all necessary requirements and nothing stands in the way of a successful market launch. They are supported by a global network of laboratories, which enables rapid response times and extremely flexible customer support,” said Mr Holger Kunz, Executive Vice President, Products, TUV Rheinland.

The OSHA guidelines have been thoroughly integrated into TÜV Rheinland’s processes. However, to help customers manage in newer, less familiar markets, the organization’s Market Access Services team continues to develop tailor-made processes designed to suit customer objectives.

“Access to a host of services, from a single source like TÜV Rheinland, translates into quick access to local, regional and international markets. And that means three things – faster time-to-market, more sales, and even greater profits,” said Mr Kunz.

Topics: Products