Electrical Safety Systems for the Americas
22-26 March, 1999

NIST's Office of Standards Services and five private sector organizations co-sponsored a one-week workshop on "Electrical Safety Systems for the Americas." This successful partnership among NIST, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Underwriters Laboratories (UL), Intertek Testing Services (ITS), and the International Code Council (ICC), established an international forum on building codes, product certification, installation, and enforcement practices in several countries in the Americas.

Twenty participants from standards organizations,government agencies and industry associations in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia,Mexico, and Venezuela exchanged ideas with 25 representativesfrom counterpart U.S. organizations regarding existing systems in the hemisphere.The foreign participants gave presentations in their area of expertise as theworkshop explored the different national schemes, seeking to identify futurecollaborations and the use of common criteria while achieving appropriate levelsof protection and facilitating trade in the hemisphere. A visit to a constructionsite illustrated several key points made during the week by the U.S. representatives.

Participants resolved to facilitate further exchanges and collaborative efforts, including: 1) creating a virtual community for continuing discussions ( http://forums.nema.org:8080/~essa ); 2) additional training and reviews of the National Electrical Code (NEC) and the IEC 60364; and 3) advocacy within trade blocks, such as Mercosur, the Andean Pact, NAFTA, and the FTAA, of issues pertaining to the electrical sector.

The sponsors expressed hope that this unique and constructive workshop will mark the beginning of joint programs and ongoing activities among industry associations, government agencies, and standards organizations in the United States and participating countries in the Americas.