Information technology equipment sector review process
The following industry review process for information technology equipment (ITE) associated with UL's IEC 60950-based Standards (herein referred to as "ITE sector review") is being adopted by UL.
Publication, withdrawal dates and requirement effective dates
When published, a new UL Standard and/or new requirements (as appropriate) associated with an ITE sector review process will be assigned the following dates for Review purposes:
- Date of publication (DOP): Date on which the Standard is published.
- Date of withdrawal (DOW) of previous Standards: Date after which previous editions of the Standard are no longer available for UL certification of new products. After this date, all certifications of new products (i.e., new product designs not previously certified by UL) will be based on the new Standard.
- Requirement effective date (RED): Date on which a specific requirement or set of requirements, either individually or as a group, goes into effect. Typically this is been driven by significant safety related field incidents, common safety design deficiencies, or is regulatory-driven by significant new national regulations (See below).
The DOP and DOW will be clearly communicated in a certification announcement bulletin that accompanies the publication of a new UL Standard.
A RED, if established, will be clearly communicated in a certification announcement bulletin that accompanies the publication of the new requirement(s) driven by an identified substantial safety deficiency or regulation.
General review considerations
There are no mandatory industry file reviews required under the ITE sector review process (i.e., existing certifications of unmodified products remain active indefinitely), unless a RED has been established for a particular requirement or group of requirements.
UL will determine the need for a RED based on a review of the origin and history of the new requirement. The actual date associated with the RED will be established based both on the severity of the potential hazard the new requirement addresses, and the length of time manufacturers are expected to produce and manufacture their product according to the new design changes.
A review of affected products covered by a RED will include the following elements:
- By the RED, all new and existing UL Certified products need to comply with the new requirement having a RED.
- The Industry File Review for the RED will consist of a review only of those parts/features of a product that are affected by the new requirement having a RED. It is not mandatory that the entire product be reviewed to the entire latest Standard (although in some situations an Applicant may request this).
- The Industry File Review for the RED will be established and conducted in accordance with established UL Industry File Review processes.
Individual product review considerations
When significant changes are made to the basic design and function of a product after the new DOW, the parts/features of the product that have been changed will be evaluated to an active set of published requirements at the time the change request is made. Generally, the review will only consist of those parts/features of a product that are changed. It is not mandatory that the entire product be reviewed to the entire latest Standard (although in some situations an applicant may request this).
For example, if a product was originally certified to UL 60950-1 1st Edition, but UL 60950-1 2nd Edition is subsequently issued with a new DOW, a product certified to the 1st Edition would be subject to an individual "product review" to the 2nd Edition if significant changes were made to the product after the new DOW.
- For purposes of the ITE sector review process, a significant change is one that results in a new technology and/or feature involving safety critical components being added to or incorporated into the product, whereas an alternate component is not a significant change.
- For example, adding an alternate power supply manufacturer would not be considered a significant change.
- Examples of significant changes include: addition of new features (such as adding a communication modem or similar hardware associated with a new communication protocol), new range of voltage ratings, alternate methods of connection to the mains supply, new installation environments (such as outdoor use), and similar changes.
Other certification reviews
UL may determine the need to consolidate product categories, encourage manufacturers to update their UL Certifications, or take other actions toward establishing greater consistency and management efficiency for the involved industry sector. These activities may be small or large in scope and informal or formal. To avoid confusion, they will not be designated industry file reviews.
