The enhanced Mark is an option for many of the products certified by UL Solutions. As customers adopt the enhanced Mark for the building and life safety industry, code authorities will be seeing more products utilizing the enhanced Mark. This includes categories such as smoke alarms certified for UL 217, the Standard for Smoke Alarms, 8th edition and UL 268, the Standard for Smoke Detector Systems, 7th edition and Emergency Responder Communication Enhancement Systems (ERCES) certified to UL 2524, the Standard for In-building 2-Way Emergency Radio Communication Enhancement Systems, 2nd edition.
As UL Solutions looks to the future, we see continued innovation introducing new compliance challenges and risks. Our enhanced and smart Marks anticipate the needs of this future marketplace and the evolving nature of safety.
To further explain the reasons for this change and the benefits achieved with the Enhanced Mark, here are some frequently asked questions and answers.
- Why did UL Solutions change its label terminology from Listed to Certified?
The word Certified was chosen carefully because it’s a term better understood globally, enhancing the ability for UL Solutions to offer certifications and Marks for geographies beyond North America.
The word Listed has historically worked well for products tested and certified as code compliant for the North American market. As UL Solutions continues to innovate and add new features to the enhanced Mark for the global market, we also needed to distinguish the legacy “Listed” Mark from the smart Enhanced Mark by introducing the word “Certified” to the Mark.
- Why did UL Solutions decide to make this change?
Enhanced and smart certification Marks (on products) and badges (on packaging) provide streamlined access to important compliance and product information for code authorities. Today’s products must meet a diverse spectrum of safety and performance certification and compliance requirements defined for many different geographies around the world.
This is all part of UL Solutions' continuing efforts to meet the evolving safety needs of our stakeholders around the world. The release of UL Product iQ™, UL Solutions' next generation of the online certification directory, is another example of how UL Solutions continues to be innovative with new technologies to help code authorities needing to determine the safety and code compliance of products.
Our enhanced and smart Marks allow the bundling of different types of certifications for different geographies into a single Mark, conserving space on products and packaging and reducing complexity and confusion. Anyone with a smart device can scan the smart Mark or badge to launch a certification page that provides instant access to helpful certification information.
UL Solutions can test and certify for many attributes other than safety, such as performance, health effects and wellness. The enhanced Mark is recognizable by the word “Certified” and:
- Makes certification information easily accessible to code authorities
- Enables digital engagement via the smart Mark/smart badge
- What are the differences between the terms Listed and Certified?
Both terms mean the same thing and meet the requirements found in model International Code Council (ICC) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) codes for products required to be tested and labeled.
These model code requirements specify:
- Equipment, materials or products be labeled with an identifying mark of a nationally recognized testing laboratory, approved agency or other organization concerned with product evaluation.
- The testing agency must maintain a periodic inspection process to help ensure the continued safety and compliance of the labeled products.
- The equipment, material or product meets identified standards or has been tested and found suitable for a specified purpose.
- The testing agency must publish a list such as UL Product iQ.
The enhanced Mark from UL Solutions, including the word “Certified” fulfills each of these model code requirements. The means for identifying Listed and Labeled equipment may vary for each organization. There is no requirement for any specific word to be on the label. Therefore, the use of the word “certified” complies with the model code requirements.
- Is the product label required by model codes and the UL Mark the same thing?
Yes, it is the same thing. The UL Mark is the required labeling for confirmation of model code compliance.
- What are the other benefits that drove the change to UL Certified?
- Helps product manufacturer’s share their UL Solutions certifications with the marketplace in an attractive way
- Enables multiple certifications to be promoted through a single UL Solutions badge design
- Provides greater flexibility in packaging placement
- Delivers more opportunities to promote compliance in meaningful and effective ways
- Provides code authorities with more information about a UL Solutions certification easily (smart badge)
- What does the enhanced Mark look like?
The enhanced Mark and badge system has two parts, with each part optimized for its purpose.
- Can you explain what I see on the Enhanced and Smart UL Mark?
The anatomy of the Mark is described as follows:
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