More Spa Machine Safety

By: Christine Heathman

Posted: June 27, 2008, from the July 2008 issue of Skin Inc. magazine.

On the subject of the safety of your spa’s equipment and machines, there are an array of complex issues to wade through. And one of the largest of these is the electrical components of you spa machines. Learn a bit more about what qualifies electrical safety for your spa equipment, and to delve deeper into the subject, check out Christine Heathman’s article “Spa Machine Safety” in the July issue of Skin Inc. magazine.

When it comes to class I electrical and technological devices, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will examine medical claims. Therefore, words such as ‘therapy’ should not appear in any literature.

Regarding UL 6060 I, a higher standard machine will possess medical electrical equipment and have general requirements for safety verification.

The major standard that applies to the United States is IEC 60601-1, and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is the U.S. facilitator. This covers the majority of the general requirements for electro-medical products.

UL often tries to insert their guidelines into items, but more and more, the standards are leaving them obsolete in many areas. There are many independent testing labs for those manufacturers and businesses that want that Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval, and they are also sometimes actively engaged in doing some kind of test.