August 10, 2012
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., August 21, 2012 - UL (Underwriters Laboratories), a global safety science company, announced that it has expanded its capabilities for IECEE CB Scheme Testing in North America. As an approved Certified Body Test Laboratory (CBTL) for the IEC's Lighting and Luminaires (LITE) category, UL's Research Triangle Park (RTP) facility is among four labs worldwide that offer one set of tests, providing manufacturers with market access to all countries who participate in the IECEE's CB Scheme.
As part of an international program for exchange and acceptance of product safety test results among participating laboratories and certification organizations around the world, the CBTL designation allows manufacturers a simplified way of obtaining multiple national safety certifications for their products and leveraging UL's expertise in global market access.
"This CBTL accreditation of UL's RTP facility will help manufacturers save significant time and money in their testing and certification program under the IECEE LITE scheme," said UL's Todd Straka, Business Development Director, Lighting. "In addition to receiving local service and technical assistance state-side, we believe our expanded service offerings and expertise in global market access will provide business solutions for our customers through our growing family of full-service NCB laboratory sites for lighting and luminaires."
UL's RTP facility is uniquely qualified to provide lighting certifications for UL and cUL marks, photobiological and EMC testing and now IEC CB certification. For inquiries, please contact Scott Travis, Scott.Travis@ul.com.
About UL
UL is a premier global safety science company with more than 100 years of proven history. Employing nearly 9,000 professionals in 46 countries, UL is evolving the future of safety with five distinct business units - Product Safety, Environment, Life & Health, Verification and Knowledge Services - to meet the expanding needs of customers and the global public. For more information on UL's family of companies and network of 95 laboratory, testing and certification facilities, go to UL.com.
About IECEE
In recognition of the need to facilitate international trade in electrical equipment, primarily intended for use in homes, offices, workshops, healthcare facilities and similar locations, for benefit of consumers, industries, authorities etc, and to provide convenience for manufacturers and other users of the services provided by various National Certification Bodies (NCBs), an international Scheme is operated by the IECEE (IEC System for Conformity testing and Certification of Electrotechnical Equipment and Components), known as the CB Scheme.
The Scheme is based on the principle of mutual recognition (reciprocal acceptance) by its members of test results for obtaining certification or approval at national level. The Scheme is intended to reduce obstacles to international trade which arise from having to meet different national certification or approval criteria. Participation of the various NCBs within the Scheme is intended to facilitate certification or approval according to IEC standards.
Where national standards are not yet completely based on IEC standards, declared national differences will be taken into account; however, successful operation of the Scheme presupposes that national standards are reasonably harmonized with the corresponding IEC standards.
Use of the Scheme to its fullest extent will promote the exchange of information necessary in assisting manufacturers around the world to obtain certification or approval at national level.
The operating units of the Scheme are the NCBs accepted according to these Rules. Those NCBs employ testing laboratories also accepted according to the Rules, known as CB Testing Laboratories (CBTLs).