UL only or others?

[jar546]

I recently found out that Broward County, Florida accepts testing organizations that are on the NRTL (National Recognized Testing Laboratories) for installed products, specifically for electrical.

https://www.osha.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/nrtllist.html

The link above is the official list. I do know that UL has been very active with marketing themselves to inspectors. So the question is:

Do you accept UL only or other testing laboratories.

Sidenote: CE is not on this list but on a lot of products.

 

[mtlogcabin]

There are different UL stamps and since we are close to Canada we see some CSA marks


Technical Tips & FAQs
Deciphering UL And CSA Certification Markings
Question: What are the differences between the different certification marks on industrial products? What is the difference between UL and CSA and UR markings?

Answer: Deciphering the differences between the many UL and CSA marks can be a bit confusing at times. While both apply to standards of equipment in the United States and Canada, they are not the same or interchangeable. More detailed information can be found at the UL and CSA websites. Both entities have a searchable database to learn more information about specific testing done on a product or what standards the product meets. Here is a short guide on how to tell the differences in their uses and meanings as they apply to products from Sprecher + Schuh.

Underwriters Laboratories

The UL Mark on a product means that UL has tested and evaluated representative samples of that product and determined that they meet UL's requirements. Testing is based primarily on UL’s Standards of Safety. The mark is followed by identifying information or a control number which can be used to look up the product in their database.

This mark indicates the product was tested by UL and meets Canadian standards by a special agreement between UL and CSA. Canadian standards may be slightly different from US standards.

This mark indicates the product was tested by UL and meets both US and Canadian standards.
Canadian Standards Association

 

[mtlogcabin]

The CSA mark means a product has been tested by CSA, and meets applicable standards for safety and/or performance in Canada. Additionally, CSA tests and certifies to standards published by ANSI, UL, NSF and other leading standards publishers. The CSA mark is usually accompanied by a Class and/or File number which can be looked up in their database for more information on the tested product.

The CSA mark with the US indicates the product was tested by CSA per an agreement with UL, and is certified for use in the US according to applicable US standards.

The CSA mark with the C and US indicates the product was tested by CSA per an agreement with UL, and is certified for use in both Canada and the US according to applicable Canadian and US standards.
Component Marks
UL also has a component mark known as the UL Recognized mark. Though the mark is available, UL does not require UL Recognized components to be marked. Because components are intended for use in a larger panel or system they are not tested as part of the entire system and may be subject to certain restrictions. Just because the components of a product have the UR mark does not indicate the entire product or system is UL approved.

 

[ICE]

CE is not a legitimate NRTL here in the USA. It is a mark for the transfer of goods between European Union nations.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CE_marking

 

[ICE]

Field evaluations are restricted to those NRTLs that have been approved for that. All NRTLs are limited to the standards that OSHA approves them for.

There are too many permutations of UL marks. There is Listed, Classified and Recognized Component. This came about to serve the wishes of manufacturers. For example a PV racking manufacturer asks for a UL mark for it's racking without meeting all of the requirements of UL2703. No problem. UL or other NRTL will test for one or two of the parameters of UL2703, let's say for grounding only. Wala there's a UL Classified mark on the label. Most jurisdictions assume that the racking is listed to the entire standard when in fact it is not.

Take a look at this:

https://www.ul.com/marks/ul-listing...lines/specific-guidelines-and-rules/#rec_comp

Having spent time on a standard making panel, I can affirm that it's not as cut a dried as one might think.