ProductIP Compliance Services Guide: An Overview

Posted on by Yvette Shen — Leave a comment

ProductIP Compliance Services Guide

ProductIP is a company that offers an online system that helps importers and manufacturers to create, manage and share their technical compliance files – mainly for the EU market (even if some services might also be relevant for the UK market).

The company, which is known for being a pioneer in product compliance solutions, also provides additional compliance services – often complementary to its platform. Further, it offers training workshops to help importers and manufacturers better understand how they can demonstrate product compliance most effectively.

This guide provides an overview of ProductIP’s digital solutions, services, and workshops.
Continue reading ProductIP Compliance Services Guide: An Overview

Prefab Home Regulations & Safety Standards in the United States

Posted on by John Vinod Khiatani — Leave a comment

Prefab Home Regulations in the United States

Thinking of importing or manufacturing prefabricated homes for the US market? Although a unifying building code standard for prefabricated homes does not exist yet, there are regulations and safety standards that should be observed.

Construction products that are commonly referred to as “prefabricated” include:

  • Kit homes
  • Modular homes
  • Stick-built homes
  • Prefabricated panels
  • Manufactured homes

However, from a legal point of view, there are two types of prefabricated homes:

  • Those that follow federal laws (legally known as “manufactured homes”)
  • Those that follow local state laws and codes (legally known as “modular homes”).

In this article, we present various legislation, codes, and safety standards that are relevant to the prefabricated housing market in the United States.

Continue reading Prefab Home Regulations & Safety Standards in the United States

Voluntary Product Safety Standards: An Essential Guide

Posted on by John Vinod Khiatani — Leave a comment

Are you thinking about having your product meet voluntary product safety standards? Some might consider it to be costly and time-consuming. However, there are compelling reasons to do so, not to mention that it may help you avoid civil liability in some jurisdictions.

In this article, we present common questions associated with voluntary product safety standards and present the business case for adopting such voluntary standards.
Continue reading Voluntary Product Safety Standards: An Essential Guide

United Kingdom Product Labelling Requirements: An Overview

Posted on by John Vinod Khiatani — 3 Comments

Are you importing or manufacturing goods for the UK market? If so, you will likely need to comply with certain product and packaging labelling requirements. Additionally, some categories of products require a mark of compliance (e.g. UKCA Mark) to be placed in the UK market.

In this article, we cover most of the common labels found in various products sold in the United Kingdom, including electronics, toys, and food contact products. This article does not apply to Northern Ireland as they follow EU rules.
Continue reading United Kingdom Product Labelling Requirements: An Overview

NRTL Approval for Importers and Manufacturers: A Summary

Posted on by John Vinod Khiatani — Leave a comment

NRTL Approval

Are you an importer or a manufacturer supplying products like electrical installations or equipment into the United States? Then you may be required to seek NRTL Approval for your product.

In the US, the Occupational Safety and Health Commission (OSHA) imposes duties on employers to ensure a safe working environment for employees. To do this, OSHA requires certain products to be “approved” by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL).

In turn, employers, retailers, and customers have an expectation that applicable products supplied are compliant with OSHA rules.

In this article, we present information related to the NRTL approval process and explain why it would be important to importers and manufacturers.
Continue reading NRTL Approval for Importers and Manufacturers: A Summary

Furniture Regulations and Standards in the United Kingdom

Posted on by John Vinod Khiatani — Leave a comment

Furniture Regulations and Standards in the United Kingdom

Are you importing or manufacturing furniture products in the United Kingdom? Depending on the furniture, certain regulations may apply to your product and require you to have your product tested and labelled in a particular manner.

In this article, we cover relevant safety regulations and standards affecting various furniture products placed in the UK, such as the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations or the Timber and Timber Products Placing on the Market Regulations. This article does not apply to Northern Ireland as they follow EU rules.

Continue reading Furniture Regulations and Standards in the United Kingdom

UL Listed Products: An Essential Guide for Importers & Manufacturers

Posted on by John Vinod Khiatani — Leave a comment

UL Listed

Are you an importer or a manufacturer looking to have your product UL Listed? UL Listed products are products that have been tested for safety by Underwriters Laboratories (UL), or by third-party labs accepted by UL.

In this article, we cover UL listing services for consumer products, including their general requirements for UL Listed products, how it differentiates between other UL marks and more.

Continue reading UL Listed Products: An Essential Guide for Importers & Manufacturers

CPSC Electronic Filing of Certain Certificate of Compliance Data

Posted on by Fredrik Gronkvist — Leave a comment

CPSC Electronic Filing

Imagine a future in which businesses must submit test reports and product certificate data as part of the importing process. Thanks to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, that future is coming closer.

The CPSC is currently planning its second pilot test of a product certificate eFiling system. This is part of their roadmap to implement a permanent eFiling system in the United States.

In practice, this will require US importers to submit data on the regulations, standards, and rules to which the product conforms. Further, information about the lab testing company must also be submitted.

Continue reading CPSC Electronic Filing of Certain Certificate of Compliance Data

Electronic Product Regulations in the European Union: An Overview

Posted on by Yvette Shen — 20 Comments

Electronic and electrical products imported and manufactured in the European Union are subject to safety standards, labeling, documentation, and testing requirements. In this guide, we explain what you must know about the RoHS Directive, Low Voltage Directive, CE marking, technical documentation, and more.

This article also covers some of the compliance risks that EU importers and producers should be aware of when it comes to electronics.
Continue reading Electronic Product Regulations in the European Union: An Overview

Children’s Clothing Regulations in the United States: An Overview

Posted on by Yvette Shen — 8 Comments

Children’s clothing sold in the United States is subject to various safety standards, chemical and heavy metal restrictions, labeling, testing, and certification requirements.

In this guide, we cover some of the most important regulations and requirements, including CPSIA, ASTM standards, tracking labels, 16 CFR Part 1120, flammability requirements, and more.

Note that some regulations and standards mentioned in this guide are not exclusively applicable to children’s products but to consumer products and apparel in general.
Continue reading Children’s Clothing Regulations in the United States: An Overview