North America represents an important market for Italian manufacturers. The legal basis for the safety of machinery and electrical equipment in the workplace is determined at the federal level by OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) standards.
Along with their legal foundation, the OSHA standards contain relevant technical requirements and define the consensus standards, which are developed by the same persons they affect and then adopted by a nationally recognized organization.
The key reference in the field of electrical safety is the National Electrical Code (NEC), which requires that electrical materials be approved. This generally entails the intervention of a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory, (NRTL), a third party body accredited in the United States of America by OSHA. The product standards for switchboards and electrical equipment of low and medium voltage machinery are UL, ANSI and IEEE.
Although there is no product order similar to the Machinery Directive, starting from 29 CFR 1910 Subpart O, the consensus standards (e.g. ANSI and ASME) apply. The process of regulatory harmonization in this area is now at an advanced stage, so the application of ISO standards – appropriately integrated by the consensus standards – constitutes a solid foundation for compliance.