Ensuring that electrical equipment is safe for its intended use

The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations, the National Electrical Code (NEC), and several other nationally recognized Standards and Recommended Practices, indicate that electrical equipment must be inspected tested and evaluated to ensure that it is essentially free of hazards. Manufacturer-supplied standard lines containing "approved" components and manufacturer-supplied assemblies that are "listed" by a "Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL)", are acceptable to the OSHA. When no NRTL accepts, certifies, lists or labels a particular piece of equipment, or determines if to be safe, special actions, involving the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ), are required to assure that the equipment complies with regulations. Such equipment would include custom-made one-of-a-kind equipment, equipment made "in-house" for research or other special purposes and equipment manufactured outside of the United States. This paper gives guidance towards ensuring that electrical equipment meets the safety intention of present-day regulations, codes and standards.