UL LLC is a safety certification company located in the United States with an active focus on conducting tests on safety products. Their certifications are widely accepted and give authority to the product manufacturer to back up their claims.
History
It was formed in 1894 by William Henry Merill an electrical engineer, UL was formerly known as Underwriters Laboratories.
Merill found the need to conduct safety tests on building materials and seeing potential in this field formed this company.
Over the years despite several companies doing well in the certification issuing business; the UL mark is still heralded as an authority by both manufacturers and the general public alike.
From 2012 onwards it is a for-profit organization after being nonprofit for many years before.
Importance & Significance
Earlier more into electrical products and fire safety; UL has expanded to cover safety issues like food and water safety as well.
With over a thousand different product standards and billions of UL marks on products, UL has over the years become a well-trusted organization.
In today’s age with advancing technologies and ever smart consumers, it is important for a manufacturer to have a safety mark on its products.
UL has been successfully able to stay relevant after all these years and has built itself a solid reputation.
Fire safety equipment, for example, has their product description to show that they have a UL classification.
This is one of the reasons why more and more buyers are now interested in knowing what this certification is all about since it is seen on most safety products.
So a UL certified product generally gives the confidence to buyers and sellers alike and will result in higher sales in comparison to a nonrated product.
Alternatives
ETL listing is often seen on product descriptions and is thought of to be an alternative to UL listing.
Since both follow similar testing patterns there is not much difference between these two listings.
Coverage
UL certifications mainly cover fields like electronic equipment and appliances; Wires & Cables, and virtually all sorts of fire and safety equipment one can think of.
UL has more than 50 plus laboratories and is serving in over 100 countries.
Difference Between UL Listed & UL Classified Products
Though easily confused as the same, they are not.
UL classified products go through a single test with a particular need and all other tests are negated.
A UL listed product, on the other hand, goes through rigorous all-around testing and is given the rating when it passes all the tests.