Partner Spotlight: QPS Evaluation Services

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May 5, 2020

Elite has teamed with QPS Evaluation Services to provide Elite’s clients access to electrical safety services for markets in North America and globally.

QPS is an IECEE/CB Scheme member, both as a National Certification Body (NCB) and as a Test Laboratory (CBTL). It is also nationally accredited as an NRTL in the USA and a Certification Body in Canada.

Why do I need safety services?

Governments establish laws to protect citizens from unsafe products for a range of hazards, uses, and environments. Federal laws address consumer safety and safety in the work place. Many state and local municipalities enforce safety regulations through residential and commercial building codes. In addition, many retailers mandate safety certifications for the products sold to the general public from their stores and outlets.

For wireless device manufacturers safety certifications have recently become an important step in the conformity assessment process. The European Union Radio Equipment Directive and regulations from other countries require an electrical safety assessment for wireless enabled devices. The safety assessment applies regardless of the applied voltage to the device. 

What’s the story with CB Scheme?

The CB Scheme is an international network of National Certification Bodies (NCBs) from around the world. It provides a machanism for mutual acceptance of test reports and certificates among participating members. A safety report issued by a CB Scheme member lab is fast becoming a de facto requirement for global wireless certification. This is especially true in Asia and Africa. For all new client regulatory requests, Elite and QPS team up to complete safety testing efficiently and quickly, then issue a CB report to ensure acceptance world-wide. Check out the QPS overview for more information on the CB Scheme and how it applies to you.

What aspects of safety are evaluated?

The most commonly applied safety standards for Elite clients include UL/EN 62368, UL/EN 61010, UL/EN60601-1, or UL/EN60204. They evaluate hazards from electric shock, electric fire, and thermal burns, mechanical and chemical hazards.

The requirements and the evaluation steps are unique to each standard and device, but they all have in common a construction review and analysis followed by testing and a final report. To complete the assessment, manufacturers must provide product schematics, bill of materials, parts lists, component specifications and ratings, as well as a user’s manual. In all cases, the evaluation requires at least one or more working product samples.

What about Hazardous Location and ATEX Certifications?

In addition to electrical safety, QPS experts also test and certify products used in hazardous locations where ignitable gases or vapors and organic dusts pose a fire and/or explosion potential. QPS services cover all protection methods, including products that require intrinsically safe and explosion protected ratings.

How To Contact QPS or Elite for Safety Services

For more information on CB Scheme safety or hazardous location services, contact QPS’s Margaret Valleau or connect with Elite’s regulatory applications engineers.

Here’s the team photo, from left to right: QPS’s Simon Hodson, Margaret Valleau, and Scott Airdrie, with Elite’s Steve Laya and Edwin Casas.