NFPA 790 is the Standard for Competency of Third-party Field Evaluation Bodies, which establishes the minimum criteria for the qualifications and performance of field evaluation bodies (FEBs) that evaluate electrical equipment or systems for compliance with applicable codes and standards.

NFPA 791 is the Recommended Practice and Procedures for Unlabeled Electrical Equipment Evaluation, which provides guidance on how to conduct field evaluations of unlabeled electrical equipment or systems in accordance with NFPA 790.

A Field Evaluation Body (FEB) is a third-party organization that evaluates electrical equipment or systems that are not Listed or Approved for the jurisdiction. An FEB applies a field evaluation label to indicate approval of the equipment by the FEB. An FEB does not issue a listing and does not certify the product or system to any specific product safety standards.

LabTest Certification Inc. is an accredited Field Evaluation Body (FEB) for evaluations of several Electrical Product groups. Partnering with LabTest Certification provides you with many benefits, such as:

• Identifying non-conformances early in the design stage
• Anticipating issues and avoiding costly delays
• LC Field Evaluation label is accepted and recognized by the AHJ in the U.S.A.
• Evaluations conducted by LC qualified NFPA 790/791 inspectors
• Products are labelled at final, installation site

LabTest’s NFPA 791 field evaluations are available for the following Electrical product groups:

• Power distribution equipment under 600 volts, including switchboards, panelboards, motor control centers, transformers, and switches.
• Power distribution equipment over 600 volts (medium and high voltage}, including switchgear, motor control, transformers, and switches.
• Industrial control and utilization equipment, including industrial control panels, factory automation and equipment, industrial process equipment, motor-operated tools, and machinery such as air compressors, pumps, and so forth.
• Commercial utilization equipment and appliances, including commercial cooking equipment, motor-operated commercial cooking equipment, refrigeration and cooling equipment, heating equipment, laundry and dry-cleaning equipment, HVAC units, and fan units.
• Luminaires (lighting fixtures) and signs, including neon, LED, and messaging-type signs.
• Medical and dental equipment.
• Information technology equipment, including UPS systems and electronic control equipment.
• Wet location equipment, including pools, spas, hot tubs, and fountain equipment.
• Hazardous location equipment that has listed components for the area or is purged pressurized or ventilated in accordance with NFPA standards to be changed to unclassified status.
• Other similar electrical equipment.

The requirements used to field evaluate products for the U.S. market are taken directly from NFPA 791, the National Electrical Code (NEC), and the nationally recognized safety standards that apply to the product being evaluated.

How Does It Work?

• An NFPA 791 field evaluation may be conducted on either new or used equipment.
• Evaluation requirements are drawn principally from the applicable nationally recognized product safety standards.
• Applicable tests are identified during the construction evaluation of the product.
• A field evaluation may consist of a preliminary evaluation at a manufacturing location or other interim distribution facility, or at the location of the final installation.
• The process MUST always be completed with an evaluation of the installed equipment at the final installation site.
• A copy of the FEB report, including any items needing corrective action, is provided to the AHJ after both preliminary and final evaluations.
• The format and content of the final report is defined in NFPA 791.
• After successful completion of testing and confirmation of markings, an LC NFPA 790/791 Field Evaluation label is applied by an LC-qualified inspector at the final installation site.

Complying products are labeled with the LC NFPA 790/791 Field Evaluations label. Accepted and recognized by most AHJ’s in the U.S.A.

It is important to note that a field evaluation label does not constitute a listing and does not certify the product or system to any specific product safety standards. A field evaluation label only indicates that the product or system has been evaluated by an accredited FEB for compliance with the applicable codes and standards and has been accepted by the AHJ’s in the U.S.A.

NRTL

A Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL), such as LabTest Certification Inc., is a third-party organization that tests and lists electrical products or components to specific product safety standards in accordance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements. An NRTL issues a listing or labeling mark to indicate that the product or component meets the applicable standards and can be used in the U.S. market.

FEB

A Field Evaluation Body (FEB) is a third-party organization that evaluates electrical equipment or systems that are not listed or labeled by an NRTL or other approved agency and applies a field evaluation label to indicate acceptance by the FEB. An FEB does not issue a listing and does not certify the product or system to any specific product safety standards.