The largest private organization in the world for safety testing and identification is Underwriteries Laboratories (UL), the most reputable safety laboratory in the United States. It is a professional, impartial organization that tests for public safety. Various materials, technologies, goods, equipment, and structures are examined to see if they are detrimental to life and property, and scientific testing procedures are used to draft and publish relevant standards as well as to decrease and prevent life. Ul certificate is for detecting and certifying the safety performance of a product.
What is UL Certification?
Public safety testing is done by UL, a professional, impartial, and non-profit organization. Regulatory compliance certification UL is responsible for defining, writing, and issuing relevant standards and collecting data to help reduce and prevent loss of life, as well as conducting fact-finding research. Why is UL certification required?
- UL has over 100 years of history and consumers take it as a guarantee of safety;
- Product safety is becoming more and more important in the market, and products with UL marks are gaining more competitive advantages and higher costs;
- UL certification marks are widely recognized in the market;
- UL certification is the passport for many markets, although it is not mandatory.
UL standards apply to electrical and mechanical hazardous products. These hazardous elements need to be assessed already at the design stage.
Benefits of UL Certification
The UL certification is recognized in many nations throughout the world as a mark of dependability and safety. Such popularity is deserved by many advantages:
- The consumer must be sure of the quality and safety of the purchased product.
- Speed up the process of commissioning equipment by making it easier for the local authority to inspect it at the installation site.
- Obtaining UL certification demonstrates the competence of manufacturers.
- Certificates confirm the durability, stability, and reliability of products.
- The UL certification also promotes better insurance as it guarantees safety and quality.
Markets covered by UL certification
There are a number of products that require UL certification as they all have the potential to cause serious bodily injury to the user if proper safety standards are not followed. UL standards refer to six technical sectors:
- electrical engineering;
- fire safety;
- anti-theft devices and alarms;
- heating and air conditioning;
- injury and chemical damage.
How to get certified: 5 easy steps
- The applicant submits a written application that includes details of the applicant’s company as well as the relevant product. Moreover, the manufacturing process must comply with the characteristics of the special design according to the product information.
- Based on the information provided about the product, the company UL provides an estimate that includes the relevant UL standard, labor costs, amount of time required, number of test pieces required, and more.
- The applicant submits the completed application form and test samples to UL.
- Upon receipt by UL of the completed application form, payment, and test samples, testing will begin and UL will notify the applicant of a completion date. If the test pieces fail the test, UL will notify the applicant, who can make the necessary modifications and provide new test pieces.
- Upon completion of testing, UL issues a statement stating that the applicant’s product has received UL approval. Subsequently, UL conducts unannounced inspections and retests.
The consumer must be confident in the quality and safety of the purchased product, which is why it is important to conduct product safety studies and obtain UL certification.