All electrical and electronic devices in South Africa that do not have radio frequency modules must have valid electromagnetic compatibility certificates recognised by the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS).
This comes after the SABS and Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) were met with criticism after they tried to implement a new compliance regime in 2017.
Among the concerns was that only compliance certificates from test laboratories authorised and integrated into the SABS Authorised Laboratory Programme would be recognised.
Icasa and the SABS have now changed their approach, recognising internationally accredited labs. They issued a new notice to equipment manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, and retailers on Monday to advise them about the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) requirements.
According to iSERT, electromagnetic compatibility “is the branch of electrical engineering concerned with the unintentional generation, propagation and reception of electromagnetic energy which may cause unwanted effects such as electromagnetic interference or even physical damage in operational equipment.”
The SABS officially launched the EMC certificate of compliance (CoC) programme through a notice on its website on 1 June 2017.
The notice included how the SABS intended to implement its Type 3 quality assurance scheme and presented the SABS Authorised Laboratory Programme (A-Lab programme).
On 22 September 2017, the SABS lodged a notification with the World Trade Organisation regarding its compliance requirements for electrical and electronic devices. It issued a media statement about the notice on 26 September.
This led to a wave of complaints about the A-Lab programme, which has now been revised. To address concerns, the regulators made the following considerations:
Electromagnetic CoC applications from test laboratories accredited by the International Laboratories Accreditation Cooperation will be accepted.
Applicants that are affiliated to the A-Lab program are guaranteed priority with turnaround times of ten working days
Applicants that are non-affiliates have a turnaround time of thirty working days.
“This is largely because the SABS has a streamlined process with A-Lab affiliates, wherein laboratories have a clear understanding of SABS requirements and have the established SABS templates, while non-affiliates pose a challenge of verification before the evaluation of applications,” Icasa stated.
Icasa said the SABS needs to verify the accreditation status of these laboratories before considering their applications.
“In some instances, the SABS might require samples to be provided as an additional requirement to aid the formulation of an outcome. Icasa said it will collaborate with the SABS in carrying out market surveillance activities to ensure continuous compliance in the market.
Source: mybroadband
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