Doug Nix

Doug Nix, A.Sc.T. is Managing Director at Compliance InSight Consulting, Inc. (https://www.complianceinsight.ca) in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada along with his partner, Kimberly Nix. He writes a blog called Machinery Safety 101. He has more than 25 years of engineering technology experience, with a focus on risk assessment and machinery safety since 1996. Doug graduated from Sheridan College in 1985, becoming a certified member of OACETT in 1991. He is a member of the following professional organizations including OACETT, IEEE, the IEEE Product Safety Engineering Society, CSA and the SCC Canadian Advisory Committee to ISO TC 199.

CE Marking Wire and Cable – Necessity or Luxury?

wire

When I set out to investigate this question, I would not have guessed that it would turn out to be as much of an odyssey as it did. For most products, determining the need for a CE Mark is relatively straightforward, but not for wire and cable products! As equipment designers, engineers and technologists, we rarely think much about wire and cable. We’re mostly concerned with the insulation colours, number of conductors, the gauge and the voltage rating. Sometimes we’re also concerned about the temperature rating, the flexibility, or perhaps the shielding. The regulatory approvals carried by the wire are often assumed, or not considered at all. This common product can bring a world of headaches if the requirements are not fully considered.

Understanding European Declarations of Conformity or Incorporation

Certificate of Conformity

In order to understand the various types of EU Declarations, it’s important to first understand a bit about the system that uses them. Two systems of product safety evaluation are currently in wide use globally: Certification, and Marking. Understanding the differences between these two systems is important for anyone who gets involved with regulatory compliance activities. It’s also important to know that these Declarations have no relationship to the compliance declarations often used in commercial supply chains. Supply chain declarations are simply used to ensure that vendors attest to the fact that they supplied what the customer ordered. This type of document has no relationship to the EU Declarations discussed article.