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News>Issue Listing>May/June 2000 >CE Marking—Is the Inspector Being Fooled?
| CE Marking—Is the Inspector Being Fooled? |
There have been an increase in questions from inspectors about CE Marking and its acceptability as a method of conformity assessment in North America. |
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Inspectors play a key role in the implementation of the
North American Safety System and the job is not easy. In
addition to being the enforcer of the electrical installation
code, the inspector must also determine if electrical products
are acceptable for use. To do this, the inspector typically
relies on some method of conformity assessment.
Recently, there has been a significant increase in questions
from inspectors about CE Marking and its acceptability as a
method of conformity assessment in North America. Typical
questions include… What is CE? Is it like UL? Who is CE? Am
I supposed to be accepting CE? The material in this paper is
intended to shed some light on such questions.
OK, So what is CE?
Nineteen countries1 in Europe decided that in order to
have "free movement of goods and to promote a common
level of safety" among their countries, these goods must
have a mark that indicates conformity to the "common
level of safety." This marking is the CE Marking. Keep in
mind that this "common level of safety" is for these
European countries and is laid out in the European Union (EU)
Directives. The CE marking is also applied to products outside
the electrical industry, including toys, furniture, etc. The
CE marking has nothing to do with North America or the North
American safety system.
Where is the CE lab
located?
CE is not an entity, a mark of conformity to a
standard, a quality mark, or a certification organization
logo. It is a marking for the EU authorities. There is
no laboratory, certification agency, etc., associated with CE
Marking. It is simply a marking applied to indicate
conformance to a common set of essential requirements for
nineteen countries in Europe.
How does a product
get a CE Marking?
In general, the manufacturer can apply the marking and by
doing so is self-declaring that the product meets the
essential requirements laid out in the EU directives. In
essence, this is a form of supplier’s declaration of
conformity (SDoC) to the directives. The process for the
manufacturer to determine compliance can vary from one product
to the next and can be complicated, depending on the product.
There are many excellent documents available to manufacturers
that discuss the specifics of this process.
How does the CE
Marking impact products sold in North America?
It doesn’t. The existence of the CE Marking has no
bearing on whether or not the product complies with the
appropriate standards in North America. The marking only
indicates that the product meets the essential requirements
mandatory in the member states of the involved European
Community and allows free movement in the community. There are
many products that meet the appropriate North American
standards and are listed by acceptable laboratories. These
products may also carry a CE Marking. However, these are
separate issues. The product must meet the appropriate North
American Standards to carry the listing mark (UL, CSA, ETL,
ANCE, etc.). Separate from that, the same product may also be
designed to meet the essential requirements of the EU
directives and would be permitted to have the CE Marking for
that reason.
As an electrical
inspector, should I be accepting CE Marking on electrical
products as suitable for installation in North America?
No. Unfortunately, inspectors are being told differently
in the field. Many are being told that CE Marking is
equivalent to UL (or similar marks of conformity) and that
they must accept that CE Marking on the product installed in
North America. This has led to significant and varied
discussions on the issue. The bottom line is that CE Marking
means nothing for products installed in North America and
statements to the contrary only add confusion. The inspector
needs some method of assurance that the product meets the
appropriate North American standards.
Since the product is
acceptable in Europe, isn’t it acceptable in North America?
No. First, keep in mind that CE Marking only indicates
that the product can move freely throughout the European
Community, it does not guarantee that it will be accepted
locally in those countries. Furthermore, the standards in
Europe and North America are different. The approaches to an
Electrical Safety System are also different. With different
safety systems and different product standards being used, you
simply cannot assume that a product installed in one system
can be safely applied in the other.
What should I be
looking for?
Inspectors should look for what they always have. Some
method of conformity assessment that is acceptable to your
locality and will provide you with the confidence that the
product meets the product standards appropriate for North
America. For many, the typical method of conformity is
third-party certification (listing) by a certification agency
accepted in your locality. By having products that meet the
product standards accepted in the country where you are
inspecting, you can alleviate much of your concern as to
whether the product is compatible with the electrical
installation code being enforced.
1 There are sixteen countries actually in
the EU, but three additional countries (Iceland, Norway and
Liechtenstein) have also agreed to the CE Marking scheme.
Jim Pauley is a registered professional engineer in the
state of Kentucky and is manager, Global Standards Strategy
for Square D Company. He serves on NEC Code-Making Panel No.
2, the NEC Technical Correlating Committee and the NFPA
Standards Council. He is also active with UL, NEMA and the
American National Standards Institue and serves on the
Kentucky Chapter IAEI Executive Committee as well as the IAEI
Western Section Board of Directors.
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