UL Declaration of Conformity

Relation to UL

UL compliance is ensured by affixing the UL label to components or standalone products, such as control cabinets. The manufacturer alone is responsible for ensuring that its product remains in compliance with UL standards at all times. To verify this, UL conducts regular random inspections of the manufacturing facilities.

What is a UL Declaration of Conformity?

The myth surrounding the UL Declaration of Conformity persists, but proof of UL conformity is provided through other means. In North America, the UL mark indicates that a product has been proven to comply with safety regulations.

Declaration of Conformity

While the EU Declaration of Conformity is a mandatory requirement within the European Economic Area for labeling products with the CE mark and placing them on the market, a corresponding declaration of conformity is not customary for either the North American or Canadian markets. Instead, there are numerous norms, standards, and guidelines regarding machine safety, compliance with which is confirmed by a certification mark.

Conformity Assessment

The EU Declaration of Conformity is the final step in a conformity assessment: The responsible party—usually the manufacturer, distributor, operator, or business owner—confirms in writing that an item possesses the characteristics specified in the declaration. The item in question may be a product or a service, an organization, or a quality management system.

Conformity assessments also exist in the United States and Canada. They are based on a combination of product standards, fire safety regulations, electrical guidelines, and national laws. In addition, there are standards for a safe and healthy workplace, which are set by OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) in the U.S. and CCOHS (Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety) in Canada.

Product characteristics are typically specified by citing the standards with which the product complies. For standards applicable to the North American market, these include, for example, UL standards, which precisely define the requirements a product must meet to comply with strict U.S. safety regulations.

Standards for UL Compliance

Underwriters Laboratories Inc., known as UL for short, has developed these UL standards. UL serves as the “testing laboratory for insurance companies” and is recognized as the most reputable testing organization in North America. It has always been important for insurance companies to minimize their liability risk caused by equipment and the associated hazards, such as fire, electric shock, or mechanical injury. The UL organization was founded with this in mind. However, it has not only developed the UL standards; it also conducts the UL testing itself and certifies the products. There are several types of UL certification used to verify UL compliance. The visible indicator is the UL mark, which is affixed to the products after successful certification. There is no additional written UL declaration of conformity.

Products must remain UL-compliant at all times

The responsibility for ensuring UL compliance rests solely with the manufacturer. The manufacturer must demonstrate that the tested products remain UL-compliant at all times. Every copy of the products must also be UL-compliant and permanently meet the specified safety requirements. To ensure this UL compliance even after the UL testing is complete, UL conducts unannounced inspections of the production facilities at irregular intervals.

If an object is modified—even if the change affects only the product design—the new version is first subjected to UL testing. And only if it meets UL compliance requirements does the object receive a UL mark.

If the item is a product or a component of a product, the UL Mark certifies only that the item complies with the specified UL standards. It is not a guarantee of the item’s quality or durability.

OSHA and NRTL

The North American federal agency OSHA is tasked with helping to reduce the number and consequences of workplace accidents. It requires that virtually all electrical equipment and cables in the workplace meet the relevant UL standards and are therefore UL-compliant. One example is the UL 508A standard for industrial control cabinets and mounting panels for general use in North America and Canada. The requirements of UL 508A also apply to applications involving industrial machinery, air conditioning and refrigeration systems, crane and elevator controls, flame control, as well as marine applications and service equipment.

The NRTLs (Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories) publish a list of UL-compliant products, which are then considered “listed.” During acceptance inspections in the U.S., inspectors check for the UL mark on the device. If it does not have one, it is generally not approved.

Putting an End to the Myth of the UL Declaration of Conformity

The idea that the certification of properties in Europe and the U.S. should follow the same process sounds perfectly logical, but it does not reflect reality. There are significant differences here:

1. The required UL compliance differs significantly from the EU compliance standards recognized in Europe.
2. UL standards differ significantly from IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) standards and European standards (EN).
3. UL compliance is not indicated by a UL Declaration of Conformity, but solely by the UL marks on the product.

Zusammenfassung

There is no declaration of conformity, as understood in the EU, for the U.S. market. Here, the certification of a product—such as a machine or piece of equipment—serves as confirmation of compliance with applicable norms and standards. However, although there is no formal conformity assessment, conformity assessments do exist in the U.S. and Canada. These are based on a combination of standards, guidelines, and regulations, as well as local laws. UL standards form the basis for a product’s UL compliance, which is confirmed by a corresponding UL label. The differences in conformity assessment and declaration between Europe and North America must be taken into account when exporting machinery and equipment to the United States.