Product Certifications

UL Testing

Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) is an independent product safety certification organization that has been testing products and writing Standards for Safety for over a century. A product with a UL Listing Mark has undergone rigorous safety testing at our facility according to UL 1678 and UL 2442. For a mounting product to pass the UL approval process, it has to be tested for strength and mounting structure integrity.

OSHPD

The Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) is one of 13 departments within the California Health and Human Services Agency. OSHPD administers programs that attempt to implement the vision of "Equitable Healthcare Accessibility for California."

California requires a pre-approval for equipment that will be anchored to the structure of all California hospitals to ensure that the equipment will remain anchored in the event of an earthquake. Pre-approval of products requires engineering calculations and/or physical testing that proves the product will hold up to earthquake forces. Chief's current pre-approved products were not physically tested.

Customers who require OSHPD pre-approval will need a copy of the pre-approval document that contains a drawing showing installation requirements that may be different or more specific than the product installation instructions. These documents will be stamped by a California certified engineer and by the OSHPD office. Documents are available on the Chief website for pre-approved products. Multiple products may be listed on the same pre-approval document. Each OSHPD pre-approval is given an "OPA" number and is listed in this OSHPD & DSA Approvals PDF.

California updated the building code in January 2008. Because of these changes, all previously pre-approved products needed to be resubmitted for testing. All products pre-approved before January 2008 are considered pending pre-approval until California pre-approval can be completed.

TUV

TÜV SÜD America Inc., a subsidiary of TÜV SÜD AG, is a business-to-business engineering services firm providing international safety testing and certification services. Its objectives are reliability, safety and quality as well as environmental protection and cost effectiveness. TUV ensures our safety testing meets European standards.

TUV/GS

The TUV/GS symbol indicates that a product was tested and certified for safety according to the "German Equipment Safety Law" by an independent institution. The GS mark is a type-approval mark, followed by periodic factory inspections covering the quality system for the product's production. Products are checked annually or every 2 years to determine whether the manufacturer is able to maintain all the specifications of the tested product in his mass production. During this factory inspection, products are evaluated for the implementation of the quality system as relevant for the production, the production environment, and production related testing and measurement equipment.

FCC (Part 15)

The Federal Code Of Regulation (CFR) FCC Part 15 is a common testing standard for most electronic equipment. FCC Part 15 covers the regulations under which an intentional, unintentional or incidental radiator can be operated without an individual license. FCC Part 15 also covers the technical specifications, administrative requirements and other conditions relating to the marketing of FCC Part 15 devices.

To achieve FCC verification, a manufacturer must make measurements or take the necessary steps to insure that the equipment complies with the appropriate technical standards.

CE

CE stands for Conformité Européenne, a French term that can be literally translated into English as European Conformity. If manufacturers want to apply the CE mark when marketing consumer, commercial, medical, or light industrial products in the European Union (EU), they must follow the EU's requirements for regulatory compliance for most electrical and electronic products.

To satisfy the CE Mark through the CE testing, a manufacturer must cover the EMC Directive (89/336/EEC) that references harmonized EMC standards. In addition a manufacturer must cover the Low Voltage Directive 73/23/EEC. The EMC Directive sets the essential requirements for all electrical and electronic equipment that may interfere with other equipment or that may be interfered with by other equipment. The Low Voltage Directive sets the requirements for electrical safety of electro-mechanical products.