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MACHINE BUILDING, FRAMEWORKS & SAFETY FEATURE
BEST PRACTICES FOR SUCCESSFUL SAFETY CERTIFICATION
Leigh Picton, laboratory manager at Kiwa, says manufacturers looking to get new electrical
products to market quickly can ensure the essential safety certification process is as efficient as
possible by partnering with a certification provider that offers in-house expertise, a collaborative
approach, widescale resources with international reach, and a proven track record. The result will be a streamlined journey that secures all-important certification compliance across multiple regions
L
aunching any new electrical product to market is a complex process. From the initial innovation to prototype development,
market research, production challenges, cost considerations and strategic planning, many factors combine to successfully prepare and offer fresh solutions. A critical component of the product’s
journey to the outside world is electrical safety certification. This provides assurance for all that the product is fully tested and complies with the prevailing safety standards and regulations in its target markets. But, electrical safety certification offers more
than just regulatory compliance; it also underpins trust and credibility for both manufacturers and products. For consumers, certification is a guarantee products meet stringent safety standards. For manufacturers, it reduces the risk of failures, protects their reputation, and provides smoother access into competitive global markets. The certification process, however, can
feel convoluted and intimidating due to varying safety requirements across what are frequently multiple regions targeted for sale. When time and detail is of the essence to ensure delivery to market is seamless, the benefits of collaborating with a trusted and expert safety certification provider can bring tangible technical and commercial benefits. Manufacturers investigating how best to
ensure that attaining safety certification is as operationally and cost efficient as possible should look at key factors that can help guarantee a smooth and competitive safety certification process.
MARKET UNDERSTANDING Look for a certification provider with a proven track record of effectively supporting
manufacturers across their electrical product compliance journey. Companies must prove that the designated product complies with what can be a wide range of prevailing safety standards applicable in both the home market, as well as across international regions. Therefore, it is important to seek evidence that the certification provider is capable of delivering success across multiple markets and has the resources and expertise to meet both need and expectation.
COLLABORATION The leading safety certification providers, including Kiwa, base their approach on a collaborative strategy, meaning expertise and resources are applied to ensure an efficient certification service that will support you through the process. The collaboration is based on a thorough understanding of the exact scope of the safety testing required and clear knowledge of all the target countries or regions for the product’s launch. This will establish the roadmap that both
manufacturer and a certification provider will use to take the product through its testing
iterations and, ultimately, secure the safety certification itself. The partnership should also include ongoing findings and feedback stages. This sees the certification provider share a ‘findings letter’ which outlines any outstanding issues connected to the product under review. This needs to be timely to mitigate unwanted delays in the launch process and provide the manufacturer with clear guidance on the remedial steps required to move to the next part of the safety certification process. This could range from adjusting a component or refining documentation, and is a critical step to ensuring the product meets all necessary safety standards ahead of final certification.
RESOURCE READY Products launched across a variety of regions – each with their own safety standards that the new product must comply with – can have the potential to create a multifaceted and complex certification process. To avoid this, manufacturers should look to partner with a provider that can remove such complexity. For example, once the product complies with all relevant standards, the certification body issues the CB Test Certificate and Report. These documents are critical for also securing national certifications and include details on international standards, as well as any deviations specific to a target country or region. This approach allows manufacturers to apply
for certifications in multiple countries without having to duplicate laboratory testing. This service delivers significant savings in time and cost. A notable example is a country such as the USA which may require additional certifications such as the NRTL mark. Well-resourced certification providers can, for
example, work with local partners to ensure the CB Test Certificate is leveraged effectively and national certification processes are streamlined.
Leigh Picton
SAFEGUARDING Skipping correct safety certification presents many critical risks, as it exposes both consumers and manufacturers to potential harm, reputational damage, and costly legal ramifications. On the other hand, collaborating with trusted certification providers safeguards all parties and facilitates smoother, less costly, electrical product launches.
Kiwa
www.kiwa.com/en
MAY 2025 DESIGN SOLUTIONS 17
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