An Open Invitation to Building Department Officials Regarding Unlisted Equipment in Their Jurisdiction
Every day, building departments and Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs) across the United States make important decisions that directly impact the safety of workers, facilities, and the public.
Those decisions are not easy. They require balancing code compliance, public safety, limited resources, and an ever-growing variety of electrical equipment entering the marketplace.
At Lewis Bass International Engineering Services, we would like to extend an open invitation to every building department official responsible for reviewing unlisted electrical equipment.
If you’ve never heard of an Accredited Field Evaluation Body (FEB), you’re certainly not alone.
In fact, many jurisdictions have worked almost exclusively with Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories (NRTLs) for decades, leading to a common misconception that OSHA specifically authorizes NRTLs to perform field evaluations of unlisted equipment. The reality is more nuanced than that.
A Conversation Worth Having
Our goal is not to convince anyone to abandon the methods that have served their jurisdiction well.
Instead, we’d simply like to begin a conversation.
The electrical industry has evolved significantly over the last several years. Custom machinery, one-of-a-kind manufacturing systems, research equipment, pilot production lines, semiconductor tools, automated packaging systems, and specialized industrial equipment often cannot reasonably receive traditional product certification before installation.
This is precisely why the National Fire Protection Association developed NFPA 790 and NFPA 791, two standards dedicated specifically to field evaluations of unlisted electrical equipment.
These standards provide a nationally recognized process for determining whether unique or custom-built equipment can be considered safe for installation and use.
Where Accredited Field Evaluation Bodies Come In
An Accredited Field Evaluation Body is an organization that has demonstrated competence to an independent accreditation organization for performing field evaluations in accordance with nationally recognized standards.
Lewis Bass is accredited by the International Accreditation Service (IAS) as a Field Evaluation Body.
That accreditation was not granted by Lewis Bass.
It was earned through independent assessment of our quality management system, technical procedures, personnel qualifications, impartiality requirements, document control, competency verification, and ongoing surveillance.
The purpose of accreditation is straightforward:
To provide jurisdictions with confidence that field evaluations are being performed consistently, competently, and according to nationally recognized requirements.
A Common Misunderstanding
One misconception we occasionally encounter is that OSHA specifically accredits NRTLs to perform field evaluations of unlisted equipment.
OSHA’s Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) Program is designed to recognize laboratories that test and certify products to product safety standards before they enter the marketplace.
That program primarily addresses product certification.
Field evaluation of installed, modified, or one-of-a-kind equipment follows a different framework.
NFPA 790 and NFPA 791 establish that framework.
Independent accreditation bodies such as IAS evaluate organizations that perform those field evaluations.
This distinction matters because many pieces of industrial equipment simply do not fit the traditional product certification model.
They may be custom-built.
They may be modified after installation.
They may consist of integrated production systems assembled from multiple manufacturers.
Or they may exist as a single machine that will never be manufactured again.
These are exactly the types of situations that field evaluations were developed to address.
Every Jurisdiction Is Different
We fully recognize that every city, county, and state has the authority to establish its own acceptance policies.
Some jurisdictions choose to accept Accredited Field Evaluation Bodies.
Others require NRTL field evaluations.
Some maintain an approved list of organizations.
Others evaluate each project individually.
Every one of these approaches deserves respect.
Our purpose is simply to ensure that building officials are aware that Accredited Field Evaluation Bodies exist and that nationally recognized accreditation programs are available specifically for field evaluations.
Many officials have never been introduced to this option.
We Welcome the Conversation
If your jurisdiction has questions about Accredited Field Evaluation Bodies, IAS accreditation, NFPA 790, NFPA 791, or how field evaluations are performed, we would genuinely appreciate the opportunity to answer them.
No sales presentation.
No pressure.
Just engineers discussing electrical safety with the professionals entrusted to protect their communities.
Ultimately, everyone involved shares the same objective:
Safe electrical equipment operating safely.
That common goal is something worth talking about.
Help Start the Conversation
If you would like to ask your local building department about its policy regarding Accredited Field Evaluation Bodies (and in this case, specifically Lewis Bass), feel free to use the message below exactly as written.
What to send to your AHJ:
What is your policy for field evaluation of unlisted electrical equipment? Please see Lewis Bass’s accreditation certificate from IAS at the following direct link. https://www.iasonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/FEB-122-Cert.pdf Is their IAS FEB certificate sufficient for providing these services in your jurisdiction?
Explanation
When you click the “Email This Now” button below, a pop-up email window should automatically open using your computer’s default email application. The message above will be pre-populated for you, allowing you to send it directly to your local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ), building department official, city electrical inspector, or county building department representative. Our hope is simply to encourage productive conversations about field evaluations of unlisted electrical equipment and to help jurisdictions become aware of Accredited Field Evaluation Bodies recognized through IAS.
When Email This Now is clicked, the intent is to open a prepared email that can be sent to your local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ), such as a building department official in your city or county. Enter the appropriate official's email address, review the message, and click Send.
Need Help Finding Your Local AHJ?
Enter a city, ZIP code, state, or any useful combination. Providing the city, ZIP code, and state generally gives the strongest jurisdiction match. The AHJ Finder
My Saved AHJs
