August 09 ElectroIndustry - 21

Code Actions/Standardization Trends › ESA Ontario Suspends Manufacturer Obligations In response to concerns expressed by several associations, the Ontario Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) has announced that it will postpone the deadline for its registration program until further notice. ESA had previously mandated that all manufacturers currently selling or planning to sell electrical products in Ontario must be registered with ESA by August 30, 2009. Concerns include the scope of the program, who is required to register, and manufacturers’ requirements to register system components. ESA had issued the following clarifications of manufacturers’ obligations. • Responsibilities of end-product manufacturers: Manufacturers of end products must register in accordance with ESA guidelines. The registration will cover all products for which the manufacturer (i.e., the legal entity registered with ESA) is the owner of the product certifications. In some cases (especially large multinationals or companies that have grown and consolidated through acquisitions), more than one legal entity may own certification marks for different products, and those entities will be required to register separately. If an end-product manufacturer licenses its brand to another manufacturer for use on products for which the licensee is the owner of the product certification, ESA registration will be the responsibility of the licensee. • Components provided as part of a registered end product: The Ontario Electrical Safety Code does not require that components used in end products be certified. If, however, a component in an end product is certified, it is the responsibility of the certified electrical component manufacturer to register with ESA. End product manufacturers are not responsible to register on behalf of manufacturers of certified components contained within the end products, nor are they responsible for ensuring component manufacturers are registered with ESA. • Components sold in the marketplace: Certified electrical components (e.g., direct-plug-in and cord-connected Class 2 power units, special use switches, etc.) sold separately as a replacement or sold directly for assembly late in an end product must be certified in order to be offered for sale. Manufacturers of these components must also register with ESA. • Replacement component parts: An electrical component may be supplied without certification as a replacement part if a) it is supplied by the original product manufacturer; b) it was supplied as an uncertified component in the original certified end product; and c) it was evaluated as part of the original end-product certification process. Although this ESA clarification appears to be fairly broad, an incongruity has been identified. Magnet wire, which is used August 09 in electrical motors and transformers, in addition to being sold to end-product manufacturers, is also sold to electrical distributors, who resell it to smaller original equipment manufacturers or to refurbishing facilities. Based on the third bullet above, magnet wire would be required to be certified. Canada, however, currently has no standard against which to evaluate magnet wire, so magnet wire cannot currently be certified in Canada and, therefore, cannot meet ESA’s mandated requirements. NEMA is currently coordinating with Electro-Federation Canada to work out a resolution to the issue with ESA for magnet wire manufacturers in the U.S. For further information about the product safety registration process, see www. esasafe.com/product_safety/index.php. ei Vince Baclawski | vin_baclawski@nema.org • NEMA electroindustry 21
August 09 ElectroIndustry

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 09 ElectroIndustry
