1. Next, research your targeted markets, expected users, competitors, industry standards and associations (all the pertinent groups listed above) and your company dictums that could influence the product to see what safety requirements each requires, wants and would like to have for your product. Look around… Is there a standard for similar products? Is there a generic standard? Take this step before designing the product, but after defining it.
   
   Should an influential customer ask for more requirements than you deem necessary, then there is a decision to make: add the requirements or convince the customer that the requirements are not necessary (many times they still want them even if not required).
   
   
2. If you need more detailed help, talk to regulatory experts (NRTLs, regulatory test houses, safety consultants and associations) to get their advice. Many times these people can simplify what is actually required.
   
   
3. If the product is so new, different or unusual and it does not fit nicely into existing standards, then seek expert help to determine what driving standard and ancillary standards should be used. This will usually require justification acceptable to the regulatory agencies that will sanction your product.
   
   
4. You may need to use one of the 'minor exceptions' stated by OSHA to ensure the product is tested in some 'approved' manner.

These steps will allow you to discover those safety requirements that need to be met in order to merchandize your product into your selected markets and locations (countries, municipalities, etc.). This may be easy or difficult depending on the product, technology and markets. For example medical products, autos and aerospace products have particularly big safety hoops to jump through, because to these groups safety can mean immediate life or death.

The benefits of following these steps are real and valuable to your company.

• You are forced to consider safety aspects you might otherwise forget or not even be aware of.
• You will choose appropriate safety standards.
• You will have a formal record of your product safety "due Diligence", which is extremely valuable during compliance activities, market thrust and should any problems occur with your product within the market place.