EMC/EMI Testing, Support, and Certification Services
Northwest EMC will be hosting the May 23rd Oregon IEEE EMC Chapter meeting at their Hillsboro, Oregon facility. Here are the details for the meeting: Wednesday, May 23, 2012 Topic: Introduction to SAR Testing and RF Exposure Regulatory Requirements Summary: Presentation will cover the basics of SAR and RF exposure regulatory requirements along with demonstrations [...]
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2012 EMC Events
With test facilities in California, Oregon, Minnesota and Washington, Northwest EMC goes beyond a basic focus on testing and provides personal consultation and technical support throughout the approval process.
Our EMC/EMI testing capabilities, unique software applications, and extensive roster of worldwide accreditations and authorizations offer manufacturers, designers and importers a single source for meeting all regulatory requirements.
Recent Trends in Enforcement
According to Fish and Richardson, the FCC staff has been pursuing certain types of enforcement activities:
Minor rule violations will now result in forfeitures. A Class I permissive change that exceeded the FCC limits by only 1.4 decibels resulted in a $4,000 settlement with the device manufacturer. The $10 million in DTV forfeitures is based on labeling violations. Large forfeitures are becoming the norm. In 2007 an importer of electronic music devices was assessed a forfeiture of $1 million. That same year, a single importer of television sets without V-chips was assessed a forfeiture of more than $7 million. Each shipment can be a separate rule violation. The $10 million in DTV forfeitures was assessed against manufacturers, importers, and retailers based on each individual shipment being considered a separate rule violation. Confessing to an error will get you nowhere. In 2007, a manufacturer requested and received a Part 15 waiver to avoid a minor rule violation. The FCC assessed a $25,000 forfeiture for past violations, even though no complaint had ever been filed.
The bottom line is that manufacturers, importers, and test labs need to be more careful about FCC compliance. Before any product marketing begins, they have to think about the risks of enforcement and potential liability. Comprehensive FCC compliance programs should be developed and implemented in advance of sales, with extra scrutiny given to devices and components coming from offshore locations. Finally, regular post-market sampling of equipment should be the norm, with extra attention given to heretofore minor labeling requirements and pre-sale activities.
Learn more.Visit the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau to learn more about their organization and on-going enforcement efforts.
