ITC SIG Article: Labeling and translation requirements in different countries
Summarized from the ITC SIG list with additional research, December 2005
In October, 2005 a list member asked "How can I find out what different countries require for labeling and documentation?"
Determining and meeting requirements for labeling and documentation in multiple countries involves the product development team and others in the company with specialized expertise. There should be a product requirements document signed by senior management. This document must state the countries in which the product will be sold, and those countries for which it will be localized. The approval requirements for each country must be listed. Refer to the product requirements to determine the languages into which the document must be translated.
The company must have and individual or department specializing in international compliance issues, including seeking approvals to sell in particular countries. These people must have extensive experience in compliance for the particular industry. The legal requirements are very extensive, and months may be needed to get approvals to sell products in some countries.
Requirements include hardware and software characteristics as well as translation and localization of labels and documents. In the United States electrical products must meet UL requirements; ETL and IRAM requirements prevail elsewhere. Products that run on AC current in the United States may need to be reconfigured to run on DC current elsewhere. Other examples of requirements include the NOM and S Mark safety requirements, and SANZ requirements governing IT products.
Compliance officers know the requirements, and they know the labeling requirements and which labels must be translated. To sell products in countries of the European Union, companies must translate the documents into the official language of each country.
The article "Safety Symbols" by Geoffrey Peckham (2000) is a comprehensive reference on product label requirements: http://www.ce-mag.com/archive/02/03/peckham.html.
