Technical Bulletin
Technical
Application Note
Ultrasonic and Multi-
Technology Sensors and
ADA/FDA Compliance or
Certification
The marketplace has recently seen incorrect and misleading claims made
regarding ultrasonic occupancy sensors. Many of those claims have to do
with compliance or certification requirements for ultrasonic sensors by the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA). The facts are as follow:
The Federal Drug and Food Administration currently does not examine,
test, or certify sensors based on any type of sensing technology.
The Americans with Disabilities Act does not require any third-party certifi-
cation for occupancy sensors based on any type of sensing technology. The
ADA does require that hand-operated controls meet specific parameters
regarding the amount of effort or pressure needed to activate them. As with
manually operated lighting controls in general, Leviton’s wallbox-mounted
occupancy sensors fully conform to the ADA’s requirements regarding the
amount of pressure required to operate the manual override switch.
Additionally, the ADA has promulgated a series of rules related to mounting
heights and obstructions as part of dealing with issues of access for the
disabled. Leviton’s wallbox-mounted occupancy sensors use passive infrared
(PIR) technology to detect motion in order to turn lights ON. The PIR lens’
view is set for a 42" mounting height, but will work within the 36" to 48"
mounting range required by the ADA for all switches. No listing or other
requirements are stated by the ADA for lighting controls to be compliant.
The extensive use of ultrasonic and multi-technology occupancy sensors
across a wide variety of applications, from occupancy sensing to security,
has provided them with a proven track record as effective and compatible
technologies.
G-7434/C6 rs