US Field Inspections and Canada Special Inspections

The huge North American market is one that most manufacturers dream of tapping into. Yet, exporting equipment there can be a tricky process to negotiate. With a variety of standards and electrical laws to satisfy, selling machinery to customers in the United States and Canada requires a unique approach.

Throughout the United States and Canada, there are local electrical safety requirements. Each Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) has the freedom to introduce its own electrical safety requirements. This means there could be numerous requirements for a single product, depending on where it is used or sold.

A Field Label is an indication that a product or piece of machinery has met the electrical and safety codes and standards for a specific jurisdiction. But unlike the CE mark in Europe, it is not a manufacturer self-declaration. A National Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) such as TÜV SÜD is qualified to apply the field label.

In many cases, local jurisdictions will not allow unlabelled equipment to be installed or used at manufacturing and commercial sites in their communities. Manufacturers with equipment that violates local electrical laws may not be allowed to use their equipment. Or worse still, they may even be fined and/or shut down by the Occupational Safety and Health Organisation (OSHA).

As such, it is important that any products you are planning to export to the U.S. or Canada undergo field inspection services and carry the appropriate accreditation for the region they will be used in.

Since the requirements for a Field Label are unique to each municipal jurisdiction, finding a testing organisation with specific knowledge of each area will make compliance a much simpler task. TÜV SÜD has decades worth of U.S. expertise to call on, which makes us an ideal partner to help you in this market.

We provide field inspection services and field label services for the electrical safety of machinery, medical devices, IT equipment, laboratory test and measurement equipment, complete systems and assemblies as well as most other types of equipment in most jurisdictions throughout the United States and Canada.

Our expert engineers will provide on-site evaluation of your equipment, covering areas such as component and construction evaluation as well as basic safety testing to required standards. We’ll highlight potential hazard areas for improved product safety to reduce risk and give you peace of mind against potential litigation.

TÜV SÜD America Inc. and TÜV SÜD Product Service GmbH are Nationally Recognised Testing Laboratories (NTRLs). This means our facilities are independently judged as meeting the highest standards of electrical safety testing and US field evaluation services, helping you to export with confidence throughout the United States.

The TÜV SÜD Field Label is widely recognised by AHJs, resulting in a smoother and faster approval process for equipment. TÜV SÜD ’s experts also perform on-site field assessment evaluations to NFPA, UL, ANSI and CSA requirements, assisting with compliance to OSHA requirements for listing and labelling of equipment.