About the Standard
Scope title: North American product safety standards and certification
UL is a standard published by UL Standards & Engagement / UL Solutions (UL). It publishes product safety standards for the North American market and carries out product safety certification.
See the other 11 codes from ULCoverage areas
Certification — How Does This Scheme Work?
The section below describes the field that code UL belongs to; it is not the text of the standard or the regime itself. The scope title of the code is given above, and technical requirements are shared at the quotation stage.
Certification schemes establish, through third-party assessment, that a system, a product or a person conforms to defined requirements. What distinguishes them from testing is the output: a test produces a measurement result, certification produces a DECISION, and that decision is recorded in a certificate.
Schemes are separated by their scope, and this separation determines which accreditation is valid. Management system certification assesses the organisation's processes (quality, environment, occupational health and safety, information security, food safety, energy). Product certification assesses the product itself and the consistency of production. Personnel certification addresses the competence of an individual.
The competence of the certification body is itself subject to its own standard, and this is the most confused point in the field: management system certification falls under ISO/IEC 17021-1, product certification under ISO/IEC 17065 and personnel certification under ISO/IEC 17024. The scopes are independent of one another; accreditation in one does not cover another. A body being "accredited" does not mean it is accredited for the scheme you need.
The process typically follows the same steps: application and scope determination, document review, stage one audit (readiness assessment), stage two audit (implementation assessment), closure of non-conformities, the certification decision and then periodic surveillance audits. The validity of the certificate depends on surveillance audits being maintained; without them the certificate is suspended.
THE SCOPE OF THE CERTIFICATE is as important as the certificate itself. A certificate is valid for the organisation's defined activities and defined sites. A quality certificate that excludes design activity is not sufficient for a manufacturer responsible for design; relying on a certificate in a tender without reading its scope is a common mistake.
Most management system standards share a common high-level structure (Annex SL): context, leadership, planning, support, operation, performance evaluation and improvement. This makes it possible to manage several systems in an integrated way; quality, environmental and occupational safety systems can be run under a single documentation framework.
Product certification differs structurally from management system certification: product testing, technical file review and factory production control auditing run together. The certificate is tied to that product type and that place of manufacture; a design change requires the certificate to be reviewed.
Sector schemes form a separate body of work and have become effectively mandatory in supply chains: IATF 16949 in automotive, AS/EN 9100 in aerospace, IRIS in rail, GFSI-recognised schemes in food and ISO 13485 in medical. These schemes add the sector's own requirements on top of the general standards and their audits are markedly more detailed.
Method groups in this field
Application and scope
The activities, sites and headcount to be certified are established; the number of audit days is calculated from this information.
Document review
Policies, procedures, risk assessment and the structure of records are reviewed.
Stage one audit
It is assessed whether the system has been established and is ready for implementation; gaps are closed before stage two.
Stage two audit
It is verified through records and interviews that the system is actually implemented on site.
Non-conformity management
Findings are classified by severity; root cause analysis and corrective action are required.
Certification decision and surveillance
The certificate is issued upon approval by an independent decision maker; periodic surveillance and recertification audits are maintained.
Commonly confused in this field
- A certificate should not be relied on without reading its scope; an activity excluded from the scope cannot be evidenced by the certificate.
- Accreditation scopes are independent; a body accredited under ISO/IEC 17021-1 is not accredited for product certification.
- A management system certificate does not demonstrate product conformity; a CE declaration or product approval runs separately.
- If surveillance audits are not carried out the certificate loses its validity; the date on the certificate is not sufficient information on its own.
- A certificate issued by a non-accredited body is not accepted in many tenders and supply chains.
- Sector schemes do not replace the general standard, they sit on top of it; for IATF 16949 the ISO 9001 requirements are also met.
Which decisions these results support
- Meeting customer and tender requirements
- Gaining acceptance in the supply chain
- Making processes systematic and traceable
- Meeting the system obligations imposed by legislation
- Defining the scope of the certificate correctly
Scope
- Certification
- Market Access
Related Tests and Services
Of the 2 pieces of content this code is referenced in, the 2 with their own published page are listed below.
Certification · 1
Global market access · 1
Technical Requirements
Standard texts are copyright of the relevant organization; test condition, sample and acceptance criteria cannot be fitted here.
Technical requirements specific to your product, once we clarify the scope At offer stage shared in writing.
Relevant Product Groups and Legislation
This code is included in the standard tag of the product pages below.
These product pages carry notes for the following markets: European Union, United Kingdom, USA, China. Whether the standard is mandatory in the relevant market varies depending on the product group and the applicable legislation.
Regulations published with this code on the same product pages:
- (EU) 2023/1542Batteries RegulationSustainability, safety and transparency for batteries. Carbon footprint declaration, recycled content and the battery passport apply on a staged timetable.
- UN Manual of Tests and CriteriaUN 38.3Transport safety of lithium cells and batteries. The T1–T8 test series is applied in the defined order; shipment cannot proceed without a report.
- 2014/35/EULVD / SafetyIf the charging circuit connects to the mains, it falls under the Low Voltage Directive; for DC-input-only models, the general product safety framework applies.
- 2014/30/EUEMCThe Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive. Emission and immunity are covered together.
- 2011/65/EURoHSRestriction of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment; an integral part of the CE declaration.
- 2012/19/ABWEEEWaste electrical and electronic equipment. Requires marking and registration with the collection system.
- (EU) 2023/988GPSRThe General Product Safety Regulation. Establishes a safety framework for aspects not covered by sector-specific legislation.
- (AB) 2018/858Vehicle Type-Approval FrameworkApproval and market surveillance of motor vehicles. The battery system is assessed as part of vehicle type-approval.
- UNECE R100UNECE R100Vehicle and battery system approval under requirements specific to electric drivetrains.
Related Standards
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this standard mandatory for my product?
Whether it is mandatory depends on the product group, the target market and the applicable legislation. Once you tell us your product and market, we clarify in writing whether this standard is required.
How long does the test process take?
Duration depends on the scope of the standard, the number of specimens and current capacity. The exact duration is shared, together with the specimen and scope details, at the quote stage.
Do you issue certification against this standard?
Which activity is carried out under which accreditation scope is separately confirmed at the application stage. Up-to-date scope information is published on our corporate page.
What happens if the standard I need is not here?
The library is based on a continuously growing inventory. If you cannot find the code you are looking for, you can send it through the quote form; we will assess the relevant scope and get back to you.