Emerson Process Management, an Emerson business, as part of its ongoing efforts to educate the industry on the risks and issues associated with salvaged, remanufactured and surplus equipment, will be sponsoring speakers at several upcoming trade gatherings.
FM Approvals has learned of instances in which a party has used a non-FM Approved facility to refurbish a FM-certified product originally manufactured and sold by an Emerson Process Management company and retained the original nameplate, which bears the FM certification mark, on the refurbished product. Despite the reuse of the nameplate, the refurbished product would not be an FM-certified product after the refurbishing operation. The joint presentation will address issues associated with the above practice and will discuss the types of locations that are classified under the applicable regulations, the regulatory requirements for use of products certified by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory in such locations, and the impact on NRTL equipment certifications resulting from repair and remanufacturing procedures. The presentation will focus on what changes made to originally-certified equipment after it has left an FM approved facility may affect the equipment's continued compliance with the original Certification standards and the potential inability of a user or purchaser to distinguish between compliant and non-compliant refurbished equipment. The presentation will also address procedures and processes that companies can follow to ensure that equipment used in classified locations maintains the certification compliances required by the applicable regulations. 'Emerson is proud of the quality of its product and its ability to meet the strict audit standards of FM Approvals and bear the FM certification mark,' said Denny Cahill, a vice president of after-market services within Emerson Process Management. 'Given the critical importance of the FM certification mark as a regulatory requirement for use of certain products in classified locations, Emerson understands the industry's desire to ensure that the products that it uses in such locations continually maintain the necessary certifications. The information provided in the presentations provides valuable information to industry concerning the steps it can take to ensure regulatory compliance and to avoid safety issues that may arise from use of products manufactured or refurbished in facilities that are not certified and audited by a NTRL, such as FM Approvals.' In addition to the upcoming presentation at the Mary K. O'Connor Process Safety Symposium, Mr. Baker and Ms. Gagliardi are scheduled to make joint presentations on this issue at the Texas A&M Instrumentation Symposium on January 25, 2007. |
