TÜV SÜD's comprehensive electrical safety services help you assess electrical infrastructure and ensure safe use
TÜV SÜD's comprehensive electrical safety services help you assess electrical infrastructure and ensure safe use
Electrical safety is a set of rules and precautions that protect against potential electrical hazards. The regulations are designed to guard against electrical risks such as arcing and electric shocks. Due to the enormous influence that electrical components have on the reliability and quality of a product, machinery and processing equipment must meet several legal safety criteria.
In principle, this means that all electrical equipment and machinery must be explicitly tested, certified or marked. Electrical components that have undergone testing and certification can be accepted for integration into higher level systems, allowing for universal use of the certified component. The wiring, motors, switches, circuit breakers, power supplies, and transformers that make up the functional heart of today’s machines, are themselves complex multi-layered systems. With so many electrical components, it is vital to test electrical safety.
There are several global directives for electrical equipment and components that companies must comply with. As the number of regulations increases, it is vital for companies to obtain comprehensive certifications and tests.
The Low Voltage Directive is a set of regulations implemented by the European Union. The Low Voltage Directive (LVD) (2014/35/EU) ensures that electrical equipment falling within specific voltage ranges provides a high level of protection for European citizens and takes full advantage of the single market.
The directive applies to electrical equipment with a voltage rating between 50 and 1000 volts for alternating current and 75 and 1500 volts for direct current. The Low Voltage Directive covers health and safety risks and applies to, among others:
Like the Low Voltage Directive, the Machinery Directive is a European Union regulation. It consists of a comprehensive set of health and safety regulations that manufacturers must declare they have complied with to sell their products in the EU. The Machinery Directive was created to allow the free movement of machinery within the European Union. The Machinery Directive is closely linked and requires compliance with the Low Voltage Directive and the Atmosphères Explosibles (ATEX) Directive (94/9/EC).
The ATEX directive regulates the requirements for equipment that is used in potentially explosive atmospheres. These can occur whenever a mixture of gases, vapours, mists or dusts combine in a way that can ignite under certain conditions. The ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU replaces the previous regulation, Directive 94/9/EC. The ATEX Directive set out health and safety requirements and assessments for products before they can be placed on the EU market.
The EMC Directive was introduced by the European Commission to control electrical interference between different devices. It is mandatory for electronic products placed on the European market to comply with the EMC Directive 2014/30/EU. The RED Directive is closely linked to the EMC Directive and provides a regulatory framework for radio equipment placed on the market. Characteristics and requirements ensure that radio equipment meets standards for safety, health and electromagnetic compatibility, while protecting privacy and personal data against fraud.
TÜV SÜD offers a range of services from testing, certification and knowledge transfer to specialised training and seminars. Testing services are based on national and international standards and regulations:
TÜV SÜD has the capability to test both standardised and non-standardised products, perform mechanical and electrical testing and develop customised test programmes. Upon successful certification, TÜV SÜD provides the appropriate test mark in accordance with:
In addition to performing the actual certification, TÜV SÜD offers to present national and international certification procedures and to provide problem solving and development support. Development support can be provided for:
TÜV SÜD is also able to educate on guidelines and standards through training and seminars.
As global manufacturers need access to global markets, products benefit from compliance with international regulatory standards. To ensure global market access, TÜV SÜD certification includes:
Particularly in markets such as US and Canada, companies with certified products benefit from protection against compensation claims. In addition, once a component has been certified by TÜV SÜD it can be integrated into higher-level systems, allowing for the component to be used in any way. With TÜV SÜD’s support throughout all stages of development, companies can save time and money by avoiding non-conformities and re-designs as early as possible.
To ensure a smooth process, both the technical testing as well as the project organisation and the full range of TÜV SÜD services are provided by a dedicated project manager.
By choosing TÜV SÜD as a partner for electrical safety testing and certification, companies can benefit from the global acceptance of the certificate due to its exceptional quality, the independence and neutrality of TÜV SÜD as an institution, and its global reputation. Companies benefit from the extensive expertise of TÜV SÜD's experts and gain international experience and reputation.
With more than 25,000 employees in almost 50 countries, TÜV SÜD is one of the world's leading testing and certification organisations. The optimisation of technology, systems and know-how is handled by professionals.
Reach out to connect to our experts and receive support on our electrical safety services!
Learn about the technical requirements of the ATEX Directive and the IECEx Scheme.
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