As manufacturers and designers look to expand their market potential to far flung parts of the world, does the IECEE CB scheme really offer a global approach to electrical safety?

Some might say it’s not possible to have a truly global set of safety requirements, as certain countries around the world have their own mandatory certification requirements which the IECEE CB scheme does not offer. This is indeed true but what the IECEE CB scheme does offer is the ability to reduce the amount of testing in other parts of the world. The whole ethos of the CB scheme is based on mutual acceptance of test data which can in turn facilitate the ability to obtain in-country certification. In simple terms, it removes the need for additional in-country testing at further expense and delay to market.

Harmonisation of National test standards with the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) equivalents means that testing against one set of standards covering multiple countries is no longer a pipe dream but reality.

In terms of overseas acceptance of the CB scheme, all the major economies around the world accept a CB certification as proof of safety compliance. Of course application of a mandatory certification mark such as NRTL for USA, SCC for Canada or CCC for China still need to be adhered too but re-testing in those countries is removed. In terms of China, they do not accept EMC testing other than via in-country testing which can be more problematic.

TRaC operates three Certification Body Test Labs (CBTL’s), two here in the UK and more recently a third in China (Shenzhen Morlab). Through our Chinese partner we are able to offer CB certification to Chinese manufacturers as well as assisting UK and European importers of electrical products into China, enabling them to meet all the relevant CCC regulatory requirements.

A TRaC IECEE CB certificate is your passport to global product certification.