Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL)

Are you planning to sell your products in North America?

We live in a competitive world – we need to be first, we need to be fast, we need to be the best. For manufacturers and importers of products in North America, it can be challenging to compete when it comes to placing products on the market. Nemko can help you with certifying your product.

Nemko processes certification applications for customers desiring electrical safety certification on their products for the US and Canadian markets. For the US, Nemko operates under the Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory Program (NRTL) of the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and for Canada under the jurisdiction of the Provincial, Territorial and Municipal regulators requiring accreditation by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC).

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Regulations for United States
The United States has a federally mandated program for the safety of electrical products used in the workplace. This program is governed by OSHA and is called the NRTL program. The NRTL program is defined in the United States Federal Regulations, specifically Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 1910.

Electrical safety outside of the workplace is not regulated at the federal level in the US. Local jurisdictions known as Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs) can impose additional requirements above and beyond the National Electrical Code. Testing and certification agencies are required, where applicable, to be directly recognized by the AHJ. NRTL recognition is often a pre-requisite to this acceptance.

Regulations for Canada
Electrical and electronic apparatus covered by the Canadian Electrical Code as adopted by the Provinces, Territories and Municipalities must be certified to recognized product safety standards. The organizations that certify these products must be accredited by the Standards Council of Canada and recognized by the Authorities having Jurisdiction as competent to certify products.

Nemko Product Safety Certification Services
Nemko is recognized to certify the electrical safety aspects of the following categories of products for the US and Canadian market:

• Information Technology Equipment
• Telecommunications Equipment
• Test and Measurement Equipment
• Audio/Video Equipment
• Electro-Medical Equipment
• Household appliances

Successful testing and certification by Nemko to these standards will allow manufacturers to use a certification mark indicating the product has been certified by an accepted certification body.

Other facts about the Nemko North America Safety Program:

The use of the mark also requires participation in our surveillance program and annual license fees. Surveillance includes factory inspections and periodic component retest if applicable.

In addition to having your testing performed at Nemko, test reports can be accepted from laboratories that have been qualified by Nemko to the requirements of ISO 17025. Witness testing is also an option. Laboratories wishing to be qualified to provide test data under this Nemko certification program must contact Nemko to arrange for qualification prior to any submission of test data.

In addition to electrical safety, other certifications may be necessary such as energy efficiency or wireless and telecom. Nemko can also offer these services too. Follow the links below for more information.

Scope of Accreditation
Nemko’s NRTL scope is located at OSHA's Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) Program

Nemko’s SCC scope can be found on the the SCC website at Nemko North America Inc.

Next Steps