In the rapid, ever-growing market of today’s world, retailers and manufacturers have to work fast and smart.
The aim is to capitalize on this market, and get the products out there as quickly as possible, while complying with whatever rules and regulations that are in place.
There a number of legal and technical requirements that need to be adhered to in order to avoid any ramifications that affect the process. One aspect in particular is significant—certification of the products.
What is NRTL Certification?
NRTL stands for “Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory”. These are third-party organizations responsible for providing certification for North American market products.
An NRTL certification classifies a product as up to the standards of the market. It ensures that the product in question meets all requirements that are to do with safety, particularly risks of shock, fire, or mechanical hazards.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)—a governmental organization that imposes and ensures health and safety at the workplace—recognizes NRTLs as qualified to provide certifications.
Each NRTL has a certified mark that is registered uniquely to them, and is used on products once they have been cleared as adhering to market safety and legal standards. For Canada, however, it is the Standards Council of Canada that can provide the authorization needed in order to certify products to be circulated in that market. Examples of NRTLs are: UL, CSA, Intertek, TUV, MET, etc.
What It Means for the Company
NRTLs provide companies with partners that are experts in the certification needs of the market. It enables efficient use of the company’s money as well as time, given that the NRTL is quick with the testing, inspection, and certification processes required.
NRTL certification enables a company to build up a sizable brand reputation—the safety of their products will not be brought into question, alongside the minimization of the risk of penalties or fines for any issues that may arise.
Obtaining an NRTL Certification can be excessively time consuming, and requires jumping through a lot of hoops. This is not always ideal, as the market is fast-moving, and products need to be put out there for sale as quickly as possible, in order to be successful.
G&M compliance provides companies assistance in obtaining NRTL certifications as well as other international certifications. They also provide certificate tracking, which allows companies to store and keep track of product certifications and when they are about to expire. Call them at (714) 628-1020 and find out more!
