Electrical Equipment Inspections

Electrical equipment that has a power source operating at or has an output ≥ 50 volts requires an NRTL-listing or an Electrical Equipment (EEI) inspection.

For new purchases, Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL)-listed equipment must be acquired whenever available, even if similar uncertified equipment can be used. A list of OSHA-approved NRTLs (e.g. UL, ETL, FM, TUV, NSF) is available here.

Equipment that exceeds $50,000 in value must be evaluated by a directorate ESA, ECP, and EEI inspector to determine if an external field evaluation is required prior to purchase.

Note: Considerations such as having “CE” marking or manufacturers that are ISO 9001 certified may be used to determine if an EEI inspection is appropriate (i.e. for simple equipment).

The EEI’s role beforethe field evaluation should be limited to verifying that:

• Infrastructure power is correct and inspected (facility electrical inspection, EMI completed)
• Grounding and bonding are in place
• Overcurrent protection is adequate
• Input power connection is acceptable
• Equipment is safe to present to the NRTL for evaluation

The NRTL field evaluator will:

• Evaluate the equipment
• Perform required testing
• Determine compliance with the applicable product safety standard
• Apply the field evaluation label if compliant

Only after the NRTL label is applied should EEI:

• Confirm grounding/bonding has remained intact
• Verify no unsafe changes occurred during evaluation
• Apply the BNL EEI barcode
• Close out documentation in the EEI database