WHERE DO YOU WANT TO SELL YOUR PRODUCT? This question must be asked at the start of your product design, as the answer may affect safety-related as well as other product details. Once you have the answer to
this question you have to find out:
- What are the
national deviations
for IEC 60950 in the countries where you will sell the product.
- Is compliance mandatory in the target market?
- If not mandatory, would it be advisable for product liability reasons?
- If not mandatory, would it be advisable for marketing reasons?
- If mandatory, is approval by a specific test house required?
- Can compliance be shown on the basis of self-declaration?
- What material is needed to justify self-declaration.?
Is the product subject to additional regulatory issues in the target markets? Examples are:
- Are there electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) requirements.
- Does the product connect directly to the telephone network?
- Does the product include an intentional radio transmitter?
- Are there ergonomics requirements?
- Does the product include lasers?
- Does the product use flammable liquids or toxic chemicals?
- Does the product emit ionizing or non-ionizing radiation?
These issues are very complex, vary from country to country, and involve legal and marketing, as well as
technical aspects. Although the requirements in the major markets are reasonably easy to research, the requirements in some of the smaller markets may be very difficult to ascertain. One useful source of
information is your local distributor in each market. They probably already have experience selling products similar to yours, and already know the requirements.
There is much time and money to be saved by knowing the regulatory requirements in advance, and developing a product test plan that will give you the coverage you
need with minimum testing. For instance, if for a certain market you need testing to UL 1950, try to get the test house to also issue you a test report to EN 60950, which
could be the basis for self-declaration in the European Union. The CB Scheme may also be used as a means to reduce the amount of testing needed.
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