|
Underwriters Laboratories Inc. is a globally recognized, not-for-profit, privately owned and operated product safety testing and certification organization. Based in Northbrook, Illinois, UL develops standards and test procedures for products, materials, components, assemblies, tools and equipment, chiefly dealing with product safety. UL also evaluates and certifies the efficiency of a company’s business processes through its management system registration programs. Additionally, UL analyzes drinking and other clean water samples through its drinking water laboratory in South Bend, Indiana. Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ...
Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ...
 A UL engineer conducts an electrical safety test UL does not “approve” products. Rather it evaluates products, components, materials and systems for compliance to specific requirements, and permits acceptable products to carry a UL certification Mark, as long as they remain compliant with the standards. UL offers several categories of certification. Products under its Listing service are said to be “UL Listed,” easily identified by the distinctive UL Mark. In some cases, a component may be “UL Recognized,” meaning UL has found it acceptable for use in a complete UL Listed product. Other products may be “UL Classified” for specific hazards or properties. UL maintains a directory of more than 3 million products through a publicly available, online database. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 559 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (756 × 811 pixel, file size: 588 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the...
Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 559 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (756 × 811 pixel, file size: 588 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the...
A manufacturer of a UL certified product must demonstrate compliance with the appropriate safety requirements, many of which are developed by UL. A manufacturer must also demonstrate that it has a program in place to ensure that each copy of the product complies with the appropriate requirements. UL conducts periodic, unannounced follow-up inspections at manufacturers’ locations to check ongoing compliance. If a product design is modified, a representative example may need to be retested before a UL Mark can be attached to the new product or its packaging.
UL has developed more than 1,000 Standards for Safety, many of which are American National Standards, and evaluates nearly 20,000 types of products. A typical standard for electronic products includes not only requirements for electrical safety, but also spread of fire and mechanical hazards. UL evaluates products for compliance with specific safety requirements. UL certification does not guarantee the product will perform acceptably or that it is safe under all conditions (such as product misuse). UL develops its Standards to correlate with the requirements of model installation codes, such as the National Electrical Code®. Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ...
Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ...
The American National Standards Institute or ANSI (pronounced an-see) is a nonprofit organization that oversees the development of standards for products, services, processes and systems in the United States. ...
The National Electrical Code is Part 70 of a set of codes and standards set forth by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). ...
The UL Mark does not carry any legal weight beyond that of any other trademark. In this sense, it is different from the CE Marking or the FCC Part 15 requirements for electronic devices, which are required by law. In practice, however, it may be extremely difficult to sell certain types of products without a UL Mark. Large distributors may be unwilling to carry a product without UL certification, and the use of noncertified equipment may invalidate insurance coverage. It is common practice in many fields to specify UL Listed equipment or UL Recognized materials. Local jurisdictional authorities, such as building, electrical and fire inspectors, may be reluctant to accept a product for installation in a building unless it carries a recognized third-party compliance mark such as the UL Mark. The CE mark is a declaration on manufactured products sold in the European Union (EU) that the item meets all the requirements of relevant EU directives. ...
In the U.S., Part 15 is an often-quoted section of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules and regulations, mainly regarding unlicensed transmissions. ...
 A sprinkler pipe test in progress In the past 20 years, great strides have been made in harmonizing international safety standards. For example, manufacturers can obtain certification to both U.S. and Canadian national standards through a single UL certification process. The label for products certified for both Canada and the United States includes “C” and “US” outside of the UL logo. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 758 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (1209 × 956 pixel, file size: 940 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Source: Underwriters Laboratories I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ...
Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 758 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (1209 × 956 pixel, file size: 940 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Source: Underwriters Laboratories I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ...
The European analog of the UL Mark is the CE Marking. The CE Marking indicates that a product complies with the essential requirements of the applicable European laws or directives regarding safety, health, environment and consumer protection. Manufacturers generally self-declare compliance with these requirements, whereas the UL Mark requires independent certification from UL. A product that bears a CE Marking may also bear a certification mark such as the UL Mark.
History
Underwriters Laboratories Inc. was founded in 1894 by William H. Merrill. At the beginning of his career at age 25 as an electrical engineer in Boston, Merrill was sent to investigate the Chicago World Fair’s Palace of Electricity. Upon seeing a growing potential in his field, Merrill stayed in Chicago to found Underwriters Laboratories.
Merrill soon went to work developing standards, launching tests, designing equipment and uncovering hazards, with his only function being to serve, not to profit. Aside from his work at UL, Merrill served as the National Fire Protection Association’s secretary-treasurer (1903–1909) and president (1910–1912) and was an active member of the Chicago Board and Union Committee. In 1916, Merrill became UL’s first president.
UL published its first standard, “Tin Clad Fire Doors,” in 1903. The following year, the renowned UL Mark made its debut with the labeling of a fire extinguisher. In 1905, UL established a Label Service for certain product categories that require more frequent inspections. UL inspectors conduct the first factory inspections on labeled products at manufacturers’ facilities—a practice that remains a hallmark of UL’s testing and certification program.
UL has expanded into a global organization with 66 laboratory, testing and certification facilities serving customers in 104 countries. It has also evolved from its roots in electrical and fire safety to address broader safety issues, such as hazardous substances, water quality and food safety.
In addition to its core services for manufacturers, UL provides safety information to consumers. Its SafetySmart program equips teachers with educational materials to teach children basic safety lessons. UL also offers safety tips to educate consumers about risks and promote safer behavior to avoid accidents and injury.
UL Presidents William Henry Merrill (1901-1923)
Dana Pierce (1923-1935)
Alvah Small (1935-1948)
Curtis Welborn (1948-1959)
Merwin Brandon (1959-1964)
Baron Whitaker (1964-1978)
Jack Bono (1978-1990)
Tom Castino (1990-2001)
Loring Knoblauch (2001-2005)
Keith Williams (2006-present)
Recent Controversy Kevin R. Ryan was terminated from his job at Environmental Health Laboratories Inc., a subsidiary of UL after the 9/11 attacks, after writing a lengthy letter to NIST Deputy Chief Frank Gayle alleging that UL had certified the steel for the World Trade Center towers and that there was no way in which 2000 degrees could have melted the steel. Soon after his letter, UL spokesman Paul M. Baker reported "UL does not certify structural steel, such as the beams, columns and trusses used in World Trade Center". Kevin R. Ryan was terminated from his job at Environmental Health Laboratories Inc. ...
The World Trade Center on fire The September 11, 2001 attacks were a series of coordinated terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001. ...
As a non-regulatory agency of the United States Department of Commerce’s Technology Administration, the National Institute of Standards (NIST) develops and promotes measurement, standards, and technology to enhance productivity, facilitate trade, and improve the quality of life. ...
This article is about the former World Trade Center (Twin Towers) in New York City. ...
See also Product certification or product qualification is the cornerstone of all bounding and the process of certifying that a certain product has passed performance and/or quality assurance tests or qualification requirements stipulated in regulations such as a building code and nationally accredited test standards, or that it complies with a...
To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...
A Fire Test is a means of determining whether or not fire protection products meet minimum performance criteria as set out in a building code or other applicable legislation. ...
ETL SEMKO is a division of Intertek Group plc (LSE: ITRK) specializing in electrical product safety testing, EMC testing, and benchmark performance testing. ...
CSA Logo with C and US Established in 1919, the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) is a world leader in safety standards testings. ...
The constructional details of CE mark The CE mark (officially CE marking) is a mandatory marking on certain products, which is required if they are placed on the market in the European Economic Area (EEA). ...
Consumer Reports, an American magazine published monthly by Consumers Union, publishes reviews and comparisons of consumer products and services based on reporting and results from its in-house testing laboratory. ...
Good Housekeeping is a womens magazine owned by the Hearst Corporation, featuring articles about home economics as well as literary articles. ...
In engineering and manufacturing, quality control and quality engineering are involved in developing systems to ensure products or services are designed and produced to meet or exceed customer requirements. ...
Safety engineering is an applied science strongly related to systems engineering. ...
The TÃœV (short for Technischer Ãœberwachungsverein, technical monitoring association in english) is a German organization that tries to protect humans and environment against dangers of technical plants and mechanisms of all kinds. ...
UL94 is a plastics flammability standard released by Underwriters Laboratories of the USA. The standard divides plastics according to how they burn in various orientations and thicknesses. ...
The Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (ROHS) became European Law in February 2003. ...
A standards organization, also sometimes referred to as a standards body, a standards development organization or SDO (depending on what is being referenced), is any entity whose primary activities are developing, coordinating, promulgating, revising, amending, reissuing, interpreting, or otherwise maintaining standards that address the interests of a wide base of...
External link |
Feeds |
Contact