Certification Marks - What do they mean?

by First Hydro September 2, 2021

Hawthorne Gardening Company is committed to safety by investing in our own Satellite Laboratory. This Level 4 (the highest level on a 1 to 4 scale) accredited facility is the only one of its kind on the west coast certified for testing lighting fixtures. (Agreement No. L4-US-11-4012). This investment secures that we are a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) and the only one in the industry. Hawthorne Gardening Company is accredited by ETL, OSHA, and ISO/IEC 17025. We have invested in the space, top of the line testing equipment, and resources including hiring an ETL Compliance Manager with years of experience in safety certification. With this investment we not only provide the maximum safety possible to anyone who uses our product, but is also provides liability protection to our Indoor Garden Retail Stores. This is the benchmark that Hawthorne Gardening Company has set, for the continued product safety excellence we strive to achieve with each and every product we sell.

	FCC Certification FCC stands for Federal Communication Commission. It’s an agency in the U.S. Federal Government that is structured under Chapter 1 Telecommunication Code of Federal Regulations known as 47 CFR. Its main responsibility is to manage the radio spectrum and to protect against radio and broadcast noise by enforcing standards and regulating the amount of radiated electromagnetic interference. Electronic products interfere by causing noise. This occurs when you have electric current moving inside of a product that automatically produces electrical waves in the space around it. These “radio waves” are unwanted interference and can cause other nearby components and products to be adversely effected. The FCC requires that an unintentional radiator (device which creates radio waves energy within itself, which is then unintentionally radiated from the device) need to be tested and operate under the FCC standards and guidelines. The FCC has the ability to impose penalties on manufacturers, importers, retailers and even end users for non-compliant product. An unintentional radiator is classified into two classes, A and B. Class A is a device that is marketed for use in a commercial or industrial type environment. The class B device is a device that is marketed for use in a residential environment but could be used in a commercial, industrial or business environment. Class B devices have tougher testing parameters to meet.
	Underwriters Laboratories Inc. Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (www.ul.com) is an organization that writes safety standards, tests products and certifies them. UL has developed over a thousand safety standards, and millions of products and their components are listed to these standards.
	Intertek Testing Services ETL is a mark provided by Intertek Testing Services. Intertek (www.intertek.com) is a global leader in testing inspection and certification services. They are a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory and tests products to UL, CSA, IEC and CE standards. A product bearing the ETL Listed Mark is determined to have met the requirements of prescribed product safety standards. Moreover, the mark indicates that the manufacturer's production site conforms to a range of compliance measures and is subject to periodic follow-up inspections to verify continued conformance. A Listed mark with both "us" and "c" identifiers signifies that the product bearing the mark complies with both US and Canada product safety standards. If it bears just the "us" identifier, it has been tested and deemed compliant to the United States. A Listed mark with a "c" identifier means the product bearing it complies with Canada product safety standards only.
	Canadian Standards Association The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) is a nonprofit association serving business, industry, government and consumers in Canada and the global marketplace. Among many other activities, CSA (www.csa.ca) develops standards that enhance public safety. A Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory, CSA is very familiar with U.S. requirements.
	Underwriters Laboratories Inc. Recognized Component Mark These are Marks consumers rarely see because they are specifically used on component parts that are part of a larger product or system. These components may have restrictions on their performance or may be incomplete in construction. The component recognition marking is found on a wide range of products, including some switches, power supplies, printed wiring boards, some kinds of industrial control equipment and thousands of other products
	Conformance European The CE Mark is a requirement for products sold to the European Market. The CE Mark identifies a product as complying with the health and safety requirements spelled out in European legislation (Directives) and is mandatory for equipment operating in the European Union (EU). Once the product has received the CE Mark it can circulate freely throughout the European Union countries.
	OMRI Listed The Organic Materials Review Institute is a national nonprofit organization that determines which input products are allowed for use in organic production and processing. OMRI Listed® products are allowed for use in certified organic operations under the USDA National Organic Program.
	California Department of Food & Agriculture Products bearing this seal are registered with the California Department of Food & Agriculture Organic Input Material Program. The Organic Input Material (OIM) Program registers fertilizing materials to be used in organic crop and food production. The program is mandated by the Legislature and supported by the industry. Products claiming to be appropriate for use in organic production are verified to comply with the California Fertilizing Law and Regulations and USDA National Organic Program Standards.
	RHP Certified Since 1963, RHP has been the European knowledge & certification center for potting soil, substrates and growing media used by Dutch and European growers, professional horticulturists and consumers. If you are a grower and consider the quality of your finished product of paramount importance, you have found the right certification entity at RHP. The RHP quality mark applies for substrate producers, substrate suppliers, extraction and production sites of raw materials.