Why you need the UL® listing
and
How the UL® system works
The UL listing is called a "Third Party Certification". This certification provides an unbiased safety assurance to interested parties including the manufacturer, specifier, electrical inspector, and the consumer.
HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS
· To acquire a listing, the product manufacturer contacts Underwriters Laboratories. Underwriters Laboratories engineers then conduct an "investigation" of all engineering documents, drawings, written specifications, and other items. This investigation results in a set of documents containing all the engineering criteria for the product. The product is verified as being fully compliant with a set of rules governing the product. In the case of pump stations, there are two sets of rules, UL 508A governs the electrical control panel, and UL QCZJ governs the entire pump station. A part of UL QCZJ requires that all control panels comply with UL 508A, so UL 508A is a pre-requisite to obtain UL QCZJ.
· The manufacturer then signs a written contract or agreement with Underwriters Laboratories promising to comply with all the rules of each category and the engineering documents of the investigation.
· As part of this agreement Underwriters Laboratories is given access to the manufacturer's facilities to conduct on site inspections, which are conducted on a regular basis to ensure continued compliance.
· Another part of the agreement is traceable labels. Each product listed must have a label affixed to the product traceable to the manufacturer through Underwriters Laboratories.
SPECIFIC CONCERNS
SPECIFIER
Third party certification provides assurance of safety to the specifier of a product allowing the specifier to focus on features and performance. The specifier should make sure that every product selected for a project is UL® listed.
If however the specified product manufacturer only provides that UL listing as an option, or if that specified manufacturer does not provide the UL listing on EVERY PRODUCT, then that specifier may continue to hold liability for that product until the specifier actually inspects the installed product and verifies that the installed product is indeed UL Listed.
At Irrigation Craft we thought it too confusing to allow some products to be built without the UL Listing. The employees work one way one day, then another way the next day. To us it was simpler to just UL List everything.
ELECTRICAL INSPECTORS
The code and the inspectors enforcing the electrical code are looking for someone to be responsible for manufactured assemblies installed on a project. The inspector is responsible for proper wiring, workmanship, load calculations, connections, conduit, and much more. But the electrical inspector cannot be responsible for manufactured assemblies such as washing machines, photocopiers, control panels, printing presses, and yes pump stations. Therefore the code calls for those products to be under the jurisdiction of a third party certifier such as Underwriters Laboratories.
The inspector is responsible for all work and materials up to and including the wire connections to a manufactured product with third party certification. At that point responsibility for safety falls upon the third party certifier and the manufacturer.
CONSUMER
The consumer wants to pick out features like quality and price, but the consumer wants to know that the device or assembly is safe. The consumer therefore should look for the UL® listing to ensure safety.
LAWSUITS
If a person is injured by a product and sues, everyone who was associated with that product from the manufacturer to the installer may be investigated for liability.
If the product should have been Listed but was not, then everyone who was responsible for making sure the product was Listed will be held accountable including the Equipment Specifier, Developer, Product Owner, General Contractor Sub-Contractor, the Building Inspectors, and possibly even the manufacturer.
It is hard to defend yourself against accusations. You know the most about the product, yet your words and ideas have less effect because you are defending yourself. If you have followed the rules however, then others can verify that what you say is true. It is hard to find fault with a group that all agrees about safety, especially when that group includes Underwriters Laboratories, Building Officials, and the National Electrical Code.
Join the group and require the UL Listing on every product you specify or purchase.
UL® LISTING LABELS
The photograph above shows an actual Irrigation Craft UL-508A control panel label with the panel serial number as required by UL®.
Irrigation Craft guarantees that this label will be found on every control panel we manufacture, you do not have to ask for it, it is standard.
The photograph above shows an actual Irrigation Craft QCZJ label with the control number as required by UL®.
Irrigation Craft guarantees that this QCZJ label will be found on every pump station we manufacture, you do not have to ask for it, it is standard.
Follow the links below to learn more
Underwriters Laboratories Home Page
Underwriters Labs Search Page for Certifications
