EUROLABis accredited by the Canadian Standards Council to act as an oversight body for product safety field inspections.
EUROLAB's field inspection services are fully compliant with NFPA 790, Standard for Qualification of Third-Party Field Evaluation Organizations, and NFPA 791, Recommended Practices and Procedures for Evaluation of Label-Free Electrical Equipment.
NFPA 790 - Qualification Standard of Third Party Site Assessment Bodies and NFPA 791 - Recommended Practice and Procedures for Unlabeled Electrical Equipment Assessment, published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) in 2013. Together, NFPA 790 and 791 provide a recommended framework for managing the evaluation and labeling process of AHJs and non-certified electrical equipment. Prior to the publication of NFPA 790 and 791, AHJs did not have a formal process to recognize Field Assessment Bodies. NFPA 790 and 791 are resources that AHJs can use to manage field assessment activities and formally recognize third parties who conduct field assessments in jurisdictions.
FEBs are third party conformity assessment bodies that evaluate unlisted electrical equipment to determine compliance with national product safety standards. These are called Field Assessment Bodies because assessments are made on site at the installation points, not in the laboratory setting. These are important as they fill the equipment gap that is not subject to a traditional certification or safety list.
FEBs assist inspectors by ensuring compliance with relevant standards in commercial and industrial environments within an inspector's jurisdiction. Inspectors are responsible for verifying compliance with the NEC (NFPA 70), but the NEC is not the primary assessment document. Evaluations by FEBs show that unlabeled equipment can be installed in accordance with the National Electrical Code.
Prior to the publication of NFPA 790 and 791, there were no formal criteria for the competence of Field Assessment Bodies. Some AHJs have recognized groups affiliated to Nationally Recognized Test Laboratories or groups with similar conformity assessment credentials such as IAS accreditation. Other AHJs have established their own qualification criteria.
Historically, the industry has viewed NRTLs as qualified to conduct Field Assessments; however, OSHA's NRTL Directive does not provide requirements or recognition for field assessment activities. While many NRTLs can offer FEB services, NRTL status should not be viewed as an FEB accreditation. NFPA 790 and 791 aim to clarify the FEB qualifications by setting out procedural guidelines and other criteria for the recognition and operation of field assessment activities.
While not required, NFPA 790 and NFPA 791 set the standard for the performance of FEB recognition and field evaluation. NFPA 790 and 791 were developed by the American Council for Electrical Safety as consensus standards and include the participation of a large number of NRTL, FEB and other industry stakeholders. Together, NFPA 790 and 791 formalize the process and requirements for unlabeled electrical equipment, closing a critical gap for product safety. AHJs must adopt these requirements within their jurisdiction to ensure that equipment assessed in the field is safely and consistently made.
EUROLAB, with its highly expert team and internationally accredited laboratories, NFPA 790/791 Field Evaluation Authority It performs all test, analysis, measurement, evaluation and report generation services completely and reliably.
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