Product Incident Reports
UL opens product incident reports to investigate concerns about UL certified products sent to UL by consumers, manufacturers, distributors, retailers and authorities having jurisdiction. When a product incident report is opened, UL verifies the concern, works to determine the root cause and takes appropriate action to resolve the concern.
Anyone can report an incident with a UL certified product to UL, including product manufacturers, authorities having jurisdiction, consumers, distributors, installers and other certification agencies.
Those reporting a product incident will receive an acknowledgment that UL has received their submission and notification when an investigation has begun. The submitter’s personal data is considered confidential and will not be shared with the manufacturer unless permission is granted by the submitter. UL staff may contact the submitter during the investigation to obtain additional information. Investigations can take a few days to several months to complete, depending upon their complexity.
Notice is sent to the submitter upon completion of the investigation. This completion letter may omit details about the outcome of the investigation because information may be proprietary to the manufacturer. UL will take appropriate corrective action, and when warranted a UL public notice may be issued.
The following are examples of what should be reported:
- Fire, shock or other personal injury or property damage allegedly caused by UL certified products
- Misuse or misrepresentation of a UL Mark
- Noncompliance with UL requirements for that product
- Unauthorized or counterfeit UL Marks
- Inappropriate or unauthorized reference(s) to UL on packaging, web sites, brochures or ads
- Application of UL certification Mark labels to products in the field
Market Survey Program
UL also conducts annual market surveys on products authorized to bear a UL Mark. Samples of UL certified products are purchased from the marketplace and undergo testing and construction reviews to determine if the products comply with UL requirements. Product incident reports are opened when noncompliant results are found. Evaluating whether products sold to the public comply with UL requirements provides a check on UL’s product certification and mark integrity programs.