NOM-003-SCFI-2000 Application Scope
The safety requirements addressed by this Mexican Official Standard apply to electric appliances and products powered by an alternate and/or direct current, which application scope is indicated in each section of item 7, "Requirements," of this Standard.
Electric appliances and products covered by this Mexican Official Standard (NOM-003-SCFI) must comply with the Mexican Standards indicated in each section, as long as a specific product safety standard does not exist. However, when a particular product standard exists, it must be applied in lieu of this standard.
The sections addressed by this item are as follows:
Note: A summary of the respective NMX Standards scope is copied here for your reference. We recommend that you consult the complete text for the relevant standard as published by the normative authority, in this case the Association for Standardization and Certification (ANCE - Asociación de Normalización y Certificación), which holds the rights to the NMX standards mentioned here. ANCE authorized us to publish NMX standards on this page. Unauthorized copy or reproduction of the contents found herein is prohibited.
Section One: Wiring Devices
The scope of this section addresses what is stated by Mexican standard NMX-J-508-ANCE, Chapter 2, except for conduits without cables and accessories. Wiring Devices addressed by this section must comply with Mexican Standard NMX-J-508-ANCE.
This Mexican Standard addresses safety requirements and test methods of electrical components for domestic, commercial, and industrial use that are powered by electrical energy from a public and/or private grids, as well as other energy sources, such as disposable or rechargeable batteries and accumulators of 600 V or lower voltage.
Requirements and test methods described in this Mexican Standard apply to the following electrical components:
- Switches for general use;
- Instant contact switches or push buttons, such as doorbells, bells, or buzzers;
- General commutators or selectors, except for those used in panels and switchboards;
- Receptacles and connectors; Single/multiple connectors, relocatable power taps, and similar components;
- Appliances with ground fault circuit breaker and appliances with a residual current breaker, except for automatic switches;
- Integrated appliances with transient voltage surge suppressors; Attachment plugs, receptacles, relocatable power taps, and similar components;
- Plugs;
- Extension cables;
- Power cords sold separately;
- Edison-type lampholders;
- Lampholders for tubular fluorescent lamps;
- Starters for tubular fluorescent lamps;
- Components for light dimmers and/or fan speed;
- (n) Tank/reservoir float switch;
- Presence and/or occupation sensor components and/or systems;
- Microswitches;
- Timer switches;
- Appliances which operation demands control transformers;
- Bells, doorbells, and buzzers;
- Domestic transformers;
- Gas and smoke detectors;
- Cable conduits with or without components and their fittings;
- Single or multiple adapters;
- Luminaries;
- Class H renewable fuses and plug fuses, and
- Products that are considered to be electrical components due to their features and operation, such as emergency lights and clocks for junction boxes.
The following are not covered by this standard:
- Electrical components to be used under special conditions, such as corrosive or explosive environments (due to the presence of dust, gases, and/or vapor);
- Electrical components used in boats or planes, which must comply with additional requirements;
- Electrical components with a nominal voltage of 24 V or lower, and
- All fuses, except Class H or plug fuses.
Following are the normative documents mentioned by NMX-J-508-ANCE:
NMX-J-005-ANCE | General Use Switches for Fixed Electrical Installations - General Specifications and Test Methods This standard applies to general use switches of up to 32 A and 300 V that are manually operated and used in fixed electrical installations. |
NMX-J-009/248/1-ANCE | Low Voltages Fuses - Part 1: General Requirements This standard applies to low-voltage fuses with a rated voltage of 1000 V or lower, operated by alternate and/or direct current and with capacity for up to 200 kA. |
NMX-J-009/248/7-ANCE | Low Voltages Fuses - Part 7: General Class H Requirements This standard applies to Class H renewable fuses with a renewable fuse of 250 V or 600 V and a rated current of 600 A or lower. Direct current capacities are optional. |
NMX-J-009/248/11-ANCE | Low Voltages Fuses - Part 11: Plug Fuses This standard applies to plug fuses with a renewable fuse of ~ 125 V (~ 127 V in Mexico) with a rated current of 30 A or lower. Direct current capacities are optional. |
NMX-J-024-ANCE | Lighting - Edison-Base Lampholders -Specifications and Test Methods This standard applies to low-voltage lampholders in general, with a rated voltage of up to 600 V of alternate current and 250 V of direct current, as well as high-pressure sodium vapor lamps with multiple voltage surges of 1 kV. This standard does not apply to lampholders used for Christmas lights, heat radiation, and protection, as well as other types not listed in this standard. |
NMX-J-325-ANCE | Lighting - Lampholders for Fluorescent Lamps - Specifications and Test Methods This standard applies to lampholders with a power range of 75 W to 660 W, designed to use fluorescent lights of 2500 V or lower during startup or normal operation. |
Section Two: Household Electrical Devices
The scope of this section addresses what is stated in Mexican Standard NMX-J-521/1-ANCE, Chapter 1. The scope of Section Two excludes household electrical devices and similar products powered by a voltage of 24 V or lower. Appliances addressed by this section must comply with Mexican Standard NMX-J-521/1-ANCE.
Standard NMX-J-521/1-ANCE specifies the safety features of electric devices intended for domestic use and similar products powered by a voltage of 250 V or lower, in case of single-phase devices, or 480 V, for other devices.
Devices that are not intended for regular domestic use, but may be hazardous to the public (such as devices to be operated by non-specialized users in commercial, light industry, and farm settings) are covered by the scope of this standard.
These include motor devices, heaters, or their combination.
Note: Examples include equipment used to supply food and beverage, cleaning devices for industrial and commercial use, and devices used at beauty shops.
In general, this standard does not include:
- Devices used by unsupervised children or handicapped individuals.
- Devices used in games for children.
Section Three: Hand-held Motor-operated Electric Tools
The scope of this section addresses safety requirements and testing methods for portable electrical motor tools with a nominal voltage of 250 V or lower (alternate current or single-phase direct current tools) and 440 V (three-phase tools.) Such tools may include heaters. Portable electric tools mounted on supports to be used as fixed tools, without having any changes made to the tools themselves, are included in the scope of this standard. Section Three excludes portable motor tools powered by a voltage of 24 V or lower. Portable electrical motor tools intended for general use must comply with Mexican Standard NMX-J-524/1-ANCE.
As reasonably possible, NMX-J-524/1-ANCE addresses the common risks involved in the normal operation of portable tools, as well as the incorrect use of these tools.
Tools using internal heating systems must comply with the applicable sections of NMX-J-521/1-ANCE.
Note: This standard does not apply to:
- Portable tools intended to be used in explosive environments (due to the presence of dust, vapor, or gas);
- Portable tools used to prepare and process food;
- Portable tools for medical purposes, and
- Heat-operated tools.
Section Four: Industrial Control and Distribution Equipment
The scope of this section addresses Mexican Standard NMX-J-515-ANCE regarding safety requirements and testing methods for industrial control and distribution equipment intended for domestic, commercial, and industrial use and that are powered by public electrical networks or other energy sources, such as disposable or rechargeable batteries, accumulators or self-generators and have a nominal voltage range between ~24 V and ~1000 V, and/or 1500 V of direct current. Control and Distribution Equipment units, which are the purpose of this section, must comply with Mexican Standard NMX-J-515-ANCE.
Mexican Standard NMX-J-515-ANCE applies to the following equipment:
- Engine starters and engine protectors;
- Power capacitors bank;
- Engine Control Centers;
- Contactors;
- Disconnectors;
- Circuit control devices and components for panel commutators;
- Surge protectors;
- Ventilation devices for panels;
- Busways;
- Separate enclosures;
- Multimeter equipment for electrical supply systems;
- Surge protectors for electrical supply systems;
- Switchboards, signalization and pilot lamp equipment for industrial use, selectors, control, and measure equipment switches;
- Automatic switches;
- Industrial limit switches;
- Foot switches (industrial-type);
- Differential switches
- Overload relays;
- Relays (releasers) and timer switches (electromechanical-type);
- Selectors;
- Light dimmers and controllers (industrial-type);
- Light panels;
- Control panels (including health-related monitors);
- Transference panels and related equipment;
- Single or multiple modular measure panels (measure basis);
- Panel boards;
- Terminal board (industrial-type).
Products that were not included in the list, but are considered Control and Distribution Equipment units due to their features and operation principles, are covered by the scope of this standard.
Following are the normative documents mentioned by NMX-J-515-ANCE:
NMX-J-118/1-ANCE | Electrical products - Panelboards - Specifications and Test Methods
This standard applies to lighting panels used in low-voltage electric circuits (up to 600 V of alternate current) implemented in non-dangerous locations, used in dead-front enclosures, for light branch circuit, devices, power circuit, and feeder circuit protection distribution and control purposes. In harmless places.
|
NMX-J-118/2-ANCE | Switchboards - Specifications and Test Methods
This standard applies to built-in and dead-front enclosure distribution panels with a nominal voltage of 600 V that were designed to be used as distribution and protection panels in electric circuit feeders, including those used in low-voltage lighting.
|
NMX-J-148-ANCE | Busways - Specifications and Test Methods
This standard establishes requirements for busways and associated accessories used as input circuit feeders and branches powered by 600 V or lower and 6000 A or lower. This standard does not apply to metallic busways with bars intended to connect power distribution panels used in prefabricated electric distribution systems.
|
NMX-J-162-ANCE | Electrical products - Enclosed and Dead-front Switches Specifications and Test Methods.
This standard applies to individually enclosed air switches and dead-front switches that have all current-carrying parts enclosed when installed according to NOM-001-SEMP.
|
NMX-J-235/1-ANCE | Enclosures - Enclosures for Electrical Equipment - Part 1 General Requirements - Specifications and Test Methods.
This standard applies to enclosures for electrical equipment intended for indoor installations in order to provide a level of protection to personnel against incidental contact with the enclosed equipment.
|
NMX-J-235/2-ANCE | Enclosures - Enclosures for Electrical Equipment - Part 2 Specific Requirements - Specifications and Test Methods.
This standard applies to specific building and enclosure performance requirements to provide a level of protection to personnel against incidental contact with the enclosed equipment.
|
NMX-J-266-ANCE | Electrical Products - Molded-Case Circuit Breakers - Specifications and Test Methods.
This standard applies to automatic molded-case circuit breakers, Class A ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) (ICFT - interruptores con circuito por falla a tierra), fused circuit breakers, and accessory high-fault protectors. This standard also applies to instantaneous-trip circuit breakers (circuit interrupters) specifically intended to be used as part of a combination motor controller in accordance with NOM-001-SEMP. This standard also applies to devices with a rated voltage of 600 V or less and 6000 amperes or less. This standard also applies to circuit-breaker enclosures and accessories designed to be used with the devices described above.
|
NMX-J-290-ANCE | Electrical Products - Magnetic Starters and Contactors - Specifications and Test Methods
This Standard applies to the following types of starters powered by either alternate or direct current of 600 V or lower:
- manual and magnetic starters
- uncombined magnetic starters of 600 V in alternate current
- non-magnetic engine starters
- overload relays
- direct current constant voltage starters
- combined starters
- magnetic contactors for lighting applications
|
NMX-J-353-ANCE | Electric Products - Motor Control Centers - Specifications and Test Methods
This standard applies to engine control centers used in circuits with short-circuit currents of not more than 100,000 A symmetrical ~ 600 V maximum, with 60 Hz.
|
NMX-J-529-ANCE | Degrees of Protection Provided by Enclosures (IP Code)
This standard applies to the categorization of protection levels provided by enclosures intended to be used in electric equipment with an assigned voltage that does not surpass 72,5 kV.
|
Section Five: Luminaries
This section addresses the specifications and test methods that must be complied by all luminaries, including signalization, exhibition, and emergency lights. As long as no specific standard applies, electrical components addressed by this section must comply with Mexican Standard NMX-J-508-ANCE.
The following are excluded from this section's application scope:
- Luminaries used in maritime and/or aerial transportation or those designated to be used under special conditions, such as corrosive or explosive environments (due to the presence of dust, vapors, or gases.)
- Luminaries for which the required power supply voltage is 24 V or lower.
- Luminaries integrated in any household electrical device must comply with Mexican standard NMX-J-521/1-ANCE, as indicated by paragraph 7.2 of NOM-003-SCFI-2000.
- Luminaries addressed by Official Mexican Standards "NOM-064-SCFI-2000 - Luminaries Intended For Indoor And Outdoor Use," which applies to luminaries with fluorescent lights, high-intensity discharge lighting, tungsten-halogen lamps, or low-pressure sodium vapor lamps.
Mexican Standard NMX-J-521/1-ANCE requirements, limitations, and test methods shall apply to electric products or devices intended for any use-including, but not limited to professional, scientific, and industrial purposes-, as long as they are not addressed by a safety Official Mexican Standard in particular.
On the other hand, the following items are not addressed by this Official Mexican Standard (NOM-003-SCFI):
- Electric products and/or associated components that are subject to a safety Official Mexican Standard in particular.
- Devices used in maritime and/or air transportation.
- Electrical components to be used under special conditions, such as corrosive or explosive environments (due to the presence of dust, gases, and/or vapor.)
- Devices and equipment units powered by nominal voltages different from those addressed by the scope of each item on Chapter 7 of this Official Mexican Standards.
- Separate electric engines.
- Products and devices with a nominal voltage of 24 V or lower.
Important: Even though products powered by rated voltage of 24 V or lower are excluded, UL may issue the corresponding compliance certificate upon the client's request.
It is important that we make it clear that the certification based on NOM-003-SCFI will be performed under the Mexican Standards directly referred to in the scope of this Standard (NMX-J-508/515/521 and 524.) In case some of these standards make a reference to another NMX, upon the interested party's request, product analysis and evaluation will be performed based on such NMX, as long as UL has the corresponding accreditation for the requested standard.
To learn more about UL's scope, please visit our Services section, more specifically the Accredited Standards page.
Product standards can be found on the Secretary of Economy page dedicated to their standards catalog.
Note: NMX Standards are not public; therefore, the respective rights are reserved and must they be acquired from the National Standards Organization that created them.