August 29, 2003—The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the American Council of Independent Laboratories (ACIL) have joined forces to enhance public safety through quality testing of much of the equipment and materials workers use every day.
The alliance will increase awareness of OSHA’s Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) program, in which OSHA-recognized laboratories determine if equipment and products that are specified in the agency’s regulations meet consensus-based safety standards and can be used safely in the workplace. Additionally OSHA personnel will be cross-trained with industry safety and health professionals on the NRTL program and the products and equipment required to have a mark.
The NRTL Program recognizes mainly private sector organizations that provide product safety testing and certification services to manufacturers. The testing and certification are done to US consensus-based product safety test standards. The standards are not developed or issued by OSHA, but are issued by US standards organizations, such as the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The program only covers products, mainly electrical items, for which OSHA safety standards require “certification” by an NRTL.
For more information, contact OSHA.
