Power tools imported and manufactured for sale in the United States are subject to various compliance requirements, covering standards, labeling, and safety testing. Ensure compliance is of utmost importance, as unsafe power tools can cause property damages, severe injury or even death.
In this guide, we explain how OSHA standards, UL standards, and regulations such as RoHS and the Hazardous Materials Regulations are relevant to power tools in the US.
Content Overview
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Which products are considered power tools?
Here, we provide examples of power tools that are mentioned either by OSHA or UL standards that cover power tools:
- Portable circular saws
- Hand-held powered drills
- Hand-held fastener drivers
- Portable belt sanding machines
- Pneumatic-powered tool retainers
- Portable abrasive wheels
- Vertical portable grinders
- Explosive actuated fastening tools
- Riding rotary mowers
- Walk-behind rotary mowers
- Riding rotary mowers
29 CFR 1910 – OSHA Standards (General Industry)
There are different OSHA standards that cover power tools. Here, we provide an overview of standards based on those listed on OSHA’s Hand and Power Tools guidance page. We only focus on product requirements, not employee or employer requirements.
29 CFR Part 1910 Subpart P – Hand and Portable Powered Tools and Other Hand-Held Equipment
29 CFR Part 1910 Subpart P covers hand and portable powered tools, as well as other hand-held equipment. OSHA defines “power tools” as tools that are run by electricity, fuel, hydraulics, pneumatics, or powder-actuated mechanisms.
Requirements (examples)
Here are a few examples of requirements for different types of power tools:
a. Portable power-driven circular saws – Must be equipped with guards on top of and underneath the base plate.
b. Vertical portable grinders – The maximum exposure angle of safety guards used on these machines should be 180 degrees.
c. Power walk-behind rotary mowers – The blade enclosure opening’s horizontal angle should not contact the operator area.
29 CFR Part 1910 Subpart R – Special Industries
29 CFR Part 1910 Subpart R covers special industry products, including power tools such as drills, and those associated with the operation of sawmills.
Requirements (examples)
Here are some examples of requirements:
a. Single circular head saws – Circular sawmills should be equipped with a splitter or spreader wheel.
b. Band head saws – Operation speeds should not exceed the manufacturer’s recommendations.
c. Whole-log sash gang saws – Carriage cradles should be at an appropriate height to prevent loading logs from being kicked out.
Incorporated standards (examples)
Here we list some examples of incorporated standards:
a. American National Standard A11.1 – Standard Practice for Industrial Lighting
b. American National Standard Requirements for the Installation of Gas Appliances and Gas Piping Z21.30
c. American National Standard B20.1 – Safety Code for Conveyors, Cableways, and Related Equipment
29 CFR Part 1910 Subpart T – Commercial Diving Operations
29 CFR Part 1910 Subpart T covers commercial diving operations as well as power tools used in such instances.
Requirements (examples)
Here we list two examples of requirements for covered products:
a. Hand-held electrical tools and equipment should be switched off prior to their submergence into or retrieval from the water.
b. Hand-held power tools should only be supplied with power at the dive location when the diver asks for it.
29 CFR 1915, 1917, 1918 – OSHA Standards (Maritime)
29 CFR Parts 1915, 1917, and 1918 cover tools used in the maritime industry, such as abrasive wheels, hand tools, and portable electric tools.
29 CFR Part 1915 Subpart H – Tools and Related Equipment
29 CFR Part 1915 Subpart H covers various tools and related equipment, such as portable electric tools.
Requirements (examples)
Here are some examples of covered tools and their requirements:
a. Hand-held portable electric tools – Should have switches that need to be held manually in the closed position to operate.
b. Abrasive wheels – The rated maximum speed of the powered abrasive wheel should be maintained and not exceeded.
Incorporated standards (examples)
We could only find one incorporated standard:
United States of America Standard Safety Code for the Use, Care, and Protection of Abrasive Wheels, B7.1-1964
29 CFR Part 1917 Subpart C – Cargo Handling Gear and Equipment
29 CFR Part 1917 Subpart C covers cargo handling gear and equipment and is relevant to hand tools.
Requirements (examples)
We could only find two product-related requirements for hand tools:
a. Hand-held portable electric tools require switches to be manually held-down during operation.
b. Portable power-driven circular saws need to have guards on top of and beneath the base plate.
29 CFR Part 1918 Subpart G – Cargo Handling Gear and Equipment Other Than Ship’s Gear
29 CFR Part 1918 Subpart G applies to cargo handling gear and equipment other than the ship gear, including portable electric tools.
Requirements (examples)
Here are two examples of requirements for portable electric tools:
a. Portable hand-held electric tools should include switches that need to be manually held down in a closed position during operation.
b. Portable, power-driven circular saws need to have top and bottom guards surrounding the base plate.
29 CFR 1926 Subpart I – OSHA Standards (Construction Industry)
29 CFR Part 1926 Subpart I covers several types of hand and power tools.
Requirements (examples)
Here we briefly list some examples of covered power tools and their requirements:
a. Hand-held powered drills need to have a momentary contact “on-off” control.
b. Pneumatic power tools should be secured to the hose to prevent accidental disconnection.
c. Fixed power-driven woodworking tools should have a disconnect switch that allows for it to be tagged or locked in the off position.
Incorporated standards (examples)
There are several incorporated standards, such as the following:
a. American National Standards Institute, B15.1-1953 (R1958), Safety Code for Mechanical Power-Transmission Apparatus
b. American National Standards Institute, A10.3-1970, Safety Requirements for Explosive-Actuated Fastening Tools
c. American National Standards Institute, B7.1-1970 Safety Code for the Use, Care, and Protection of Abrasive Wheels
UL Standards
In general, you are mandated to comply with standards incorporated by reference into relevant regulations. However, in practice, you should still use applicable standards to ensure product safety even if those standards are not incorporated by reference.
The reason is that products must be safe, and standards can help you to ensure product safety. This is especially important for dangerous products such as power tools. Unsafe products may result in injury and damage, and you may face product recalls, bans, and fines.
Here we list some examples of UL standards that are relevant for power tools.
| Standard | Description |
| UL 745-1 – Portable Electric Tools | This standard covers hand-held portable electric motor-operated or magnetically-driven tools such as drills, sanders, and impact wrenches.
Tools with incorporated electric heating elements should comply with IEC publication 335-1, and battery-powered tools should comply with IEC publication 335-2. |
| UL 62841-1 – Electric Motor-Operated Hand-Held Tools, Transportable Tools And Lawn And Garden Machinery – Safety – Part 1: General Requirements | This standard covers hand-held tools, transportable tools, and lawn and garden machinery that are:
It does not cover tools meant for use in explosive atmospheres, food-processing purposes, and medical purposes. |
| UL 62841-2-1 – Electric Motor-Operated Hand-Held Tools, Transportable Tools and Lawn and Garden Machinery – Safety – Part 2-1: Particular Requirements for Hand-Held Drills and Impact Drills | This standard covers:
The standard does not apply to:
|
| UL 62841-2-2 – Electric Motor-Operated Hand-Held Tools, Transportable Tools And Lawn And Garden Machinery – Safety – Part 2-2: Particular Requirements For Hand-Held Screwdrivers And Impact Wrenches | This standard covers:
It does not apply to screwdriver drills. |
Lab Testing
You should get your power tools tested to make sure they are mechanically, electrically, and chemically safe to use. Some regulations require you to test your product against specific requirements or standards. For other regulations, even if testing is not mentioned, it may still be necessary to conduct the relevant tests to ensure product safety.
When your product passes those tests, you receive a report indicating your product complies with the relevant standards and regulations.
| Regulation | Lab testing |
| OSHA Standards | Power tools may have to undergo various tests to comply with the relevant OSHA standards, such as:
|
| UL Standards | The specific test depends on the standards that are relevant to your product. For example, power tools may need to undergo tests such as:
|
Power tools testing companies
Here we list some companies that claim they can test power tools and associated products:
- Intertek
- UL Solutions
- SGS
- TÜV Rheinland
Additional Requirements
Power tools may also be subject to additional regulatory requirements that are relevant to consumer products in general.
| Regulation | Description |
| 47 CFR Part 15 – Radio Frequency Devices | 47 CFR Part 15 sets requirements for radio-frequency devices, which are classified in two classes:
a. Unintentional radiators emit radiofrequency energy within the device but are not designed to emit and generate radiofrequency energy via induction or radiation. They should be authorised per the Supplier’s Declaration of Conformity (SDoC) procedure. b. Intentional radiators emit and generate radiofrequency energy by induction or radiation and should be authorised per the Certification procedure. This includes, for example, wi-fi enabled devices |
| 10 CFR Part 430 – Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products | 10 CFR Part 430 sets requirements for some types of consumer products, regarding items such as:
Thus, it would be relevant for the power adapter of your power tool, for example. However, we could not find requirements specific for power tools in this part. |
| 10 CFR Part 431 – Energy Efficiency Program for Certain Commercial and Industrial Equipment | 10 CFR Part 431 sets an energy conservation program for some types of commercial and industrial equipment, such as certain electric motors. Thus, it may be relevant to some power tools. |
| 10 CFR Part 429 – Certification, Compliance, and Enforcement for Consumer Products and Commercial and Industrial Equipment | 10 CFR Part 429 sets certification requirements for products covered by 10 CFR Parts 430 and 431. It generally requires manufacturers to:
a. Submit a certification report to the Department of Energy containing the information listed in Part 429.12(b) b. Include a compliance statement in the certification report, stating the information listed in 429.12(c) |
| RoHS | RoHS regulations set restrictions on certain substances (e.g. heavy metals) used in some electronic products.
According to NIST, the following states have RoHS regulations:
|
| Hazardous Material Regulations | The Hazardous Materials Regulations set classification, testing, packaging, and labeling requirements for the transportation of hazardous materials, such as lithium batteries. Thus, they would be relevant for power tools, such as hand-held drills, that are powered by batteries. |
| Country of Origin Marking | Products sold in the United States, including power tools, should bear a country of origin marking, such as “Made in China”. |
| California Proposition 65 | Power tools may comprise components that contain substances restricted by California Proposition 65, such as:
|
Recommended articles
- FCC 47 CFR Part 15: Electronics Regulations in the United States
- Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) Guide: An Overview
- RoHS Requirements in the United States: An Overview
- Hazardous Materials Regulations: An Essential Guide
- Country of Origin Requirements in the United States: An Overview
- California Proposition 65 Guide for US Importers & Amazon Sellers
