UL Certification
The Facts About UL Certification
Do you need safety certification?
Panel safety compliance is managed at both federal and local levels. Ultimately, it is an Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) that determines whether or not you need certified panels for a specific application. Municipalities in which you do business may have codes or regulations that require electrical control panels to be certified by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL). However, requirements can vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Thus, it is advisable for any company that sources control panels to clarify the requirements of the AHJs in which they operate.
What is an NRTL?
An NRTL is an independent third-party organization recognized by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) to provide evaluation, testing, and certification of products. All NRTLs conduct testing and certification based on nationally recognized safety standards.
Underwriters Laboratories (UL), a well known independent company that provides third-party product safety certification, is the largest NRTL in the United States. Because it is so well known, many people assume that UL is the only organization that can provide a safety certification mark.
In reality, UL is only one of several NRTLs approved for testing and certification. Others include CSA Group Testing and Certification Inc. (CSA), FM Approvals (FM), and MET Laboratories (MET).
Why UL certify?
In the United States, Underwriters Laboratories is the oldest, largest and best known NRTL. A UL listing can help the end user of a control panel satisfy AHJ requirements. It is widely recognized and accepted by municipal inspection authorities in the United States and Canada that a UL listing can help to facilitate and expedite the installation and approval process. With UL certification, we demonstrate compliance with trusted safety standards that reduce risk and ensure performance.
What are the certification standards?
The UL standard applicable to most control panels is 508A. This is the UL Standard for Safety of the Construction of Industrial Control Panels and covers proper component selection/usage, calculation of short-circuit current ratings, enclosure environmental ratings, wiring, motor protection, safety markings, and conformance to the National Electrical Code (NEC) These requirements cover industrial control panels intended for general industrial use, operating from a voltage of 1000 volts or less, where the ambient temperature does not exceed 40°C (104°F) maximum. Depending upon the application and AHJ, companies who source panels may need to meet other, more specialized, UL standards. These can include:
UL 1203.
Standard for Explosion-Proof and Dust-Ignition-Proof Electrical Equipment for Use in Hazardous (Classified) Locations.
Note that locations are “classified depending on the properties of the flammable vapors, liquids or gases, or combustible dusts or fibers that may be present therein and the likelihood that a flammable or combustible concentration or quantity is present.” More detail about classification can be found here.
UL 698a.
Standard for Industrial Control Panels Relating to Hazardous (Classified) Locations.
These requirements cover industrial control panels intended for general industrial installation and use in unclassified locations with intrinsically safe circuit extensions into the hazardous (classified) locations.
Simplex Can Help
In Canada, product approval related to electrical safety is under the Jurisdiction of Provincial Governments. Typically, Provincial Regulations stipulate that “…no person may manufacture, install, offer for sale, or otherwise dispose of electrical equipment unless the equipment displays a label or mark of a certification organization, such as Underwriters Laboratory, accredited by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC)”.
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