Underwriters Laboratories (UL)

Definition

World's largest, not-for-profit product safety testing and certification organization with global name recognition and acceptance. Founded in 1894 in the US, it permits the use of its listing mark (the UL mark) as its stamp of approval on goods and materials after standardized and stringent testing. Thereafter its inspectors regularly visit the producer to audit compliance with its certification requirements. UL has some 46 laboratories and 200 inspection centers in over 70 countries and applies its 750 standards to more than 18 thousand types of products manufactured by about 60 thousand firms. UL mark, however, guarantees only the safety of the item in use, not its performance or quality.