ELECTRICAL SAFETY TESTING
FOR ELECTRONICS
In the ever-changing landscape of electrical and electronic products, manufacturers and retailers seeking longevity beyond seasonal trends must prioritize selling not only functional but also safe products. Years of carefully cultivated brand image and reputation can be tarnished in an instant, with a substantial recall or a customer injury lawsuit potentially erasing numerous strategic moves. To avert such crises, Electrical and Electronic product suppliers should consider several crucial measures:
- Vendor selection: Establishing a long-term buyer/vendor relationship is the initial step. Creating a sense of ongoing partnership and potential future business motivates vendors to design products with safety in mind.
- Third-party certification: The next step involves obtaining third-party product safety certification. This entails the scrutiny of prototype designs or early production samples by a highly experienced independent third party, identifying significant errors that even diligent design houses might overlook. Certification schemes also include factory surveillance through quarterly visual inspections to monitor any design discrepancies.
- Compliance with sourcing and performance specifications (protocols): Another measure involves reviewing production samples against sourcing or performance specifications. Third-party action can frequently detect variations from the original certification samples.
WHAT IS THE IECEE CB SCHEME?
Operated by the IEC System of Conformity Assessment Schemes for Electrotechnical Equipment and Components (IECEE), the IECEE CB Scheme is an international system facilitating the mutual acceptance of test reports and certificates related to the safety of electrical and electronic components, equipment, and products. In 2018, over 100,000 CB Test Certificates were issued globally.
(source: IECEE statistics)
The chart below illustrates the dominance of two product categories over the past five years: Office equipment linked to the 60950 safety standard and household appliances linked to the 60335 safety standard.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
- Safety: Verify that products comply with relevant safety standards.
- Quality: Validate the quality of products.
- Interoperability: Ensure products work and can interact with other products, services, and installations.
- Consistency: Be confident that products comply with the initially assessed sample.
WHY BUREAU VERITAS?
Bureau Veritas operates CB Test Labs worldwide, including in the USA, France, Germany, India, Greater China, and Korea, all approved under Bureau Veritas LCIE as the National Certification Body. A CB Test Certificate from Bureau Veritas serves as your gateway to global market access.