Date post: | 31-Aug-2014 |
Category: |
Technology |
Upload: | us-consumer-product-safety-commission |
View: | 495 times |
Download: | 0 times |
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
This presentation was prepared by CPSC staff. It has not been reviewed or approved by the Commission and may not reflect its views.
Selling Safe Consumer Electrical Products In
The United States
John GoldenRegional Product Safety Attaché (Asia-
Pacific)U.S. Embassy, Beijing
Electrical Product Hazards
• Electricity is a powerful, useful energy source that is potentially hazardous.
• Product failures or misuse can cause fires, electric shock, thermal burns (such as from exposure to hot surfaces) and chemical burns (such as from batteries).
• Equipment that generates, distributes or uses electrical energy should be compliant with standards and installed according to applicable electrical codes to mitigate safety risks.
Electrical Product Hazards U.S. Data - From 2006 to 2008:
50,100 structure fires per year- 400 deaths, 2,990 injuries & $1.3 billion
property losses- Fires caused mostly by:
- Electric cooking equipment- Electrical distribution system
components- Electric heating and cooling equipment
53 electrocutions on average per year
Electrical Product Hazard Prevention Strategies
CPSC staff promotes electrical safety through a multi-
pronged approach
• Supporting improvements to voluntary standards/codes
• Creating and enforcing technical regulations and bans
• Identifying products with defects and hazards through surveillance activities and recalls
• Developing education programs for consumers
}
Voluntary Consensus Standards
• The electrical product safety system primarily relies on compliance with voluntary industry-consensus standards.
• Wholesalers and retailers specify which standard a supplier must meet.
• Three technical regulations for electrical products under CPSC’s jurisdiction.
•
Voluntary Consensus Standards
• CPSC’s regulations do not require 3rd party certification for electrical products, but there is a high rate of voluntary participation – Many retailers will only sell electrical products if they
have been certified– Some states and municipalities require certification for
all electrical products to be sold in those jurisdictions– The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) requires certification for electrical products used in the workplace
CPSC staff strongly recommends that manufacturers or exporters/importers seek 3rd party certification for their electrical products as a means of hazard mitigation.
Voluntary Consensus Standards
• Since CPSC staff relies primarily on voluntary standards over mandatory regulations for electrical products, the staff actively participates in the process of maintaining the standards by addressing emerging hazards through development and adoption of new or modified requirements.
• This continuous process begins with reviewing information from CPSC’s data collection systems.
Incident Databases
Injury and
potential injury
incident data*
Death certificate
s
In-depth investigation
s
National Electronic
Injury Surveillance
System
National Fire
Incident Reporting
System
IPII DTHS
INDP
NEISS
NFIRS
*Hotline, On-line consumer reports, Newspapers, News on Internet
Voluntary Standards - Staff Participation
Analyze injury/death
data for hazard
patternsReview
standards for
inadequacies
Conduct tests and
evaluations to support findings
Propose standards developme
nt or revisions
Participate in
committees
Voluntary Standards ProcessCase Study #1: In 2004, document shredding
machines were implicated in a number of finger amputations in small children.
Data Analysis
CPSC staff reviewed incident databases for paper
shredder incidents to determine the causes and scenarios that may lead to
finger injuries.
Voluntary Standards ProcessCase Study #1: Document Shredding Machines
Data AnalysisThe most severe injuries, amputations, occurred when a child was feeding paper into a shredder (even under adult supervision) and did not release the paper in time and their hand was pulled into the opening.
Voluntary Standards ProcessCase Study #1: Document Shredding Machines
Standards Review
CPSC staff reviewed UL 60950-1 Information Technology
Equipment – Safety – Part 1: General Requirements for
accessibility to moving parts requirements for paper
shredders
Voluntary Standards ProcessCase Study #1: Paper Shredders
Evaluation
CPSC staff examined paper shredders for design
variations and to assess the efficacy of accessibility
probes
Voluntary Standards ProcessCase Study #1: Document Shredding Machines
Standards Revision
CPSC staff issued a report of test results showing
design/standard vulnerabilities and proposed a working group to discuss
findings.
Voluntary Standards ProcessCase Study #1: Document Shredding Machines
Standards Panel Participation
CPSC staff participated in UL 60950 working group to
develop new test requirements to reduce
access to hazardous moving parts.
Voluntary Standards ProcessCase Study #1: Document Shredding Machines
Standards Panel Participation
Panel voted to accept proposed changes to UL
60950-1 to address moving parts accessibility
Voluntary Standards ProcessCase Study #2: Flexible Lighting Products (Rope Lights)
Data Analysis
A rope light is a string of series and/or series-parallel connected lamps enclosed in a flexible polymeric tube or extrusion.
CPSC staff was receiving reports of incidents
involving rope lights, which had been in use as a
commercial product, but was being sold for
residential use. Raised concerns about possible
risks of shock or fire.
Voluntary Standards ProcessCase Study #2 : Rope Lights
Standards ReviewThere was no standard for
rope lights. Although similar to holiday lights,
rope lights differ in several ways, including installation longer than 90 days, which put them out of the scope of
the holiday lighting standard.
Voluntary Standards ProcessCase Study #2 : Rope Lights
Evaluation
CPSC staff examined the rope lights and defined the
areas of concern for residential use, such as field configuration (cutting lights
to length).
Voluntary Standards ProcessCase Study #2 : Rope Lights
Standards Revision
CPSC staff proposed development of a standard
for rope lights based on identified potential hazards.
Voluntary Standards ProcessCase Study #2 : Rope Lights
Standards Panel Participation
First Edition of UL 2388 – Standard for Safety of
Flexible Lighting Products was issued July 3, 2002
Technical RegulationsOnly three technical regulations for
electrical products under CPSC’s jurisdiction:
• 16 CFR 1505 – Requirements for electrically-operated toys or other electrically operated articles intended for use by children
• 16 CFR 1204 – Safety Standard for Omnidirectional Citizens Band Base Station Antennas
• 16 CFR 1120.3(a) – Requirements for handheld hair dryers require integral immersion protection in accordance with UL 859 and UL 1727
Other Requirements
Safe Installation = Electrical Safety
• The National Electrical Code (NEC) covers the installation of electrical equipment in public and private premises.– Product standards requirements are in
accordance with the NEC.
• The NEC is a consensus code published by the National Fire Protection Association.– This is NOT a national standard, but it is
widely adopted as law by state and local municipalities.
RecallsA product for which it has been preliminarily determined to create a substantial product safety hazard must be recalled, i.e., removed from sale and those in consumer’s hands must be remedied through repair, replacement, or refund, as appropriate under the circumstances.
Besides working to make products safer, CPSC staff strives to make consumers safer users through information and education and engaging them in thinking about safety first.
Consumer Education
• www.cpsc.gov
• www.SaferProducts.gov
• Press releases
• Neighborhood Safety Network
• Publications
• News Conferences
• Social media
Consumer Education
• Compliance with applicable regulations, standards and the NEC are highly effective ways to mitigate hazards from equipment that generates, distributes, or uses electrical energy.
• Importers, although reliant on foreign producers, are directly responsible for the safety of products they bring into the United States.
Responsibility to Comply
All equally responsibleManufactur
ersImporters
Distributors Retailers
Responsibility to Comply
Manufacturers and importers should follow best practices to ensure that their products do not pose undue risks and need to be recalled. • Comply with consensus standards and technical
regulations• Obtain third-party certification for products• Implement a rigorous recordkeeping system to
document all relevant aspects of design and manufacturing to assure that all changes can be easily tracked
• Maintain quality and configuration control• Assess impact of material or component
substitutions
Case Study #3: This hair dryer is missing an immersion detection current interrupter (IDCI) plug and presents a risk of electrocution if dropped in water. It violates the requirements under 16 CFR 1120.3(a) .
CPSC seized products at the port.
Follow Best Practices – Avoid Unsafe Products
Follow Best Practices – Avoid Unsafe Products
Case Study #4: Uncertified luminaire did not meet voluntary standards requirements. It was assembled with poor workmanship, lacked proper strain relief on the power cord and did not have a polarized plug. Unit posed fire and shock hazards.
CPSC seized units at the port.
Follow Best Practices – Avoid Unsafe Products
Case Study #5: Uncertified decorative lighting string did not meet voluntary standards requirements. The wire was undersized, plug lacked overcurrent protection, strain relief was inadequate and circuit enclosure was not flame-resistant. Unit posed fire and shock hazards.
CPSC seized units at the port.
Follow Best Practices – Avoid Unsafe Products Case Study #6:
Uncertified handheld work light did not meet voluntary standards requirements. Deficiencies included assembly with poor workmanship, undersized wire, inadequate strain relief on the power cord and substandard components. Unit posed fire and shock hazards.
CPSC seized units at the port.
Follow Best Practices – Avoid Unsafe Products
Case Study #7: Uncertified portable electric fan did not meet voluntary standard requirements; deficiencies included motor without thermal protection, undersized wire, inadequate strain relief on the power cord and lack of integral overcurrent protection in plug. Unit posed fire and shock hazards.
CPSC seized units at the port.
Follow Best Practices – Avoid Unsafe Products Case Study #8: Remote
control toy helicopters provided with rechargeable lithium-ion batteries without charge/discharge control circuitry or thermal protection, allowing batteries to be overcharged or over-discharged, overheat and ignite. Posed fire hazard.
Units recalled.
Follow Best Practices – Avoid Unsafe Products
Case Study #9: Uncertified 6-outlet current tap did not meet the voluntary standard. It was poorly constructed from inadequate materials. Sheet metal was too thin and flimsy and lacked strength to properly contact plug blades. Resulting loose connections can arc and overheat. Ground pin was poorly fastened to grounding bus. Unit posed fire and shock hazards.
CPSC seized units at the port.
Follow Best Practices – Avoid Unsafe Products
Case Study #10: Uncertified power strip was not compliant with the standard. Power cord and internal wiring were severely undersized, and the cord strain relief was inadequate. Sheet metal buses were too thin and flimsy and deformed when a plug was inserted. Internal connections were poorly made and easily came loose. Unit posed fire and shock hazards.CPSC seized units at the
port.
Follow Best Practices – Avoid Unsafe Products Case Study #11: Third-party
certified dehumidifier involved in fire incidents. Poor recordkeeping and failure to follow process controls allowed non-flame resistant plastic resins to be used in enclosure molding in place of approved polymeric material. Insufficient flame-resistance allowed internal failure to ignite surrounding plastic and propagate flames beyond unit.
Units recalled.
Summary
Electrical product safety does not happen by accident; it requires diligence and vigelance from producer to user.
• Be aware of CPSC regulations • Follow applicable voluntary standards during design
and manufacturing of products• Obtain third-party certification for products• Follow best manufacturing practices to ensure
products are built consistently and with proper quality and safety
39
John GoldenRegional Product Safety Attaché (Asia-
Pacific)U.S. Embassy, Beijing
Phone: 86-10-8531-3318Fax: 86-10-8531-3652
E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected]