North American Certification

Introduction

ETL SEMKO is part of Intertek Testing Services Ltd. which is the world's largest inspection organization for products and daily necessities with 240 laboratories and 469 offices in 93 countries in North America, Europe and Asia. ETL SEMKO provides testing and certification of product safety, EMC testing product performance testing, as well as providing registration of quality management systems for a variety of industries such as pharmaceuticals, HVAC, appliances, telecommunications, aerospace, automation, semiconductors, building materials, energy generation systems, and more.

Any electrical, mechanical or electromechanical product that bears the ETL inspection mark indicates that it has been tested to meet the relevant industry standards. Each industry has different testing standards, so be sure to consult with a professional about the requirements for a particular product. the ETL inspection mark is widely used in cable products to indicate that the relevant tests have been passed.

In most areas of the United States, approval of electrical products is mandatory, and ETL refers to ETL Testing Laboratories Inc. Jurisdiction) recognized, can be considered "approved.

Factory inspection

ETL needs to conduct factory inspection before issuing the certificate, and then each quarter there will be follow-up factory inspection from time to time, the cost in addition to the factory inspection fee also need to pay the certificate license fee on a quarterly basis. If needed, inspectors can visually retest the product or take samples and test them in the laboratory. The licensee must sign a statutory contract (service agreement) with ETL, which clearly sets out the responsibilities of the manufacturer and the conditions for continuous ETL listing and use of the ETL logo.

Application Documents

Until 2013 there are two ways to obtain an ETL certificate, one is through the CB test report to transfer, you can also apply directly, the documents required to submit are as follows.
 1. application form
 2. Copy of CB test certificate (not required for direct application)
 3. Copy of the CB test report (direct application is not required)
 4. Sample
 5. Other relevant test results and product data, such as: product manuals, photos, component lists, etc.
 (If transferred through the CB report, the difference test is required)

Scope of application

The companyThose that have been tested to meet the relevant product safety standards represent production plants that have agreed to receive strict periodic inspections to ensure consistency in product quality for sale to both theU.S. and Canadian markets.

Marking
 (1) ETL inspection mark any electrical, mechanical or electromechanical products with ETL inspection mark as long as it is tested to meet the relevant industry standards.
 (2) ETL listing mark any electrical, mechanical or electromechanical product with the ETL mark as long as it is tested to comply with the relevant product safety standards.

Related content                                                                  

ETL certification is required to export products to the United States and Canada. The ETL mark indicates that the product has passed the US NRTL and or Canadian SCC approval tests.The ETL mark is recognized as having equivalent validity to the UL or CSA mark and complies with the relevant safety standards. The fact that a product has an ETL listing means that it has met the minimum requirements for product safety standards. In addition, the ETL mark indicates that the manufacturer's production site meets a certain range of standard requirements and is followed up by regular factory audits to ensure continued consistency. ETL has been around for over 100 years, and the three letters ETL are short for Electrical Testing Labs, founded by inventor Thomas Edison in 1896, which stands for innovation, influence, independent and open product testing, and extensive experience.ETLus mark (only us, no c): safety mark for products entering the U.S. market cETL mark (only c, no us): safety mark for products entering the Canadian market cETLus mark: safety mark for products entering the U.S. market and the Canadian market Factory inspection The U.S. ETL certification requires four inspections, Canada is two times a year; to have both, then four times a year .

The difference between UL and ETL  

UL and ETL both mean that the product has been tested by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) and meets the appropriate safety standards. So the real difference is in the service. As an ETL customer, you can enjoy tailored testing, inspection and certification services, fast operational cycles and flexible working methods. We are creating ways of working more closely with our customers so that your products get to market faster, smoother and more efficiently.
ETL certification and UL certification has the same North American market access, but the cost of ETL certification than UL certification is much lower, generally only half of UL certification, and, ETL certification of product testing can be transferred through the CB test report, you can save a lot of testing costs.
ETL certification time is also much shorter than UL certification, in special cases, ETL can first issue a certificate, and then factory review, for your product exports to save valuable time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions about the ETL Listing Mark

Why Manufacturers Choose the ETL Listing Mark
Manufacturers want to have multiple options to meet their purchasing needs, and testing and certification service providers are an important part of that choice. 

Is the ETL listing mark legally equivalent to the UL and CSA listing marks
The law requires that products sold in the U.S. be tested and certified by a nationally recognized testing laboratory (NRTL) designated by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Commission (OSHA). NRTL's function is to provide independent evaluation, testing and certification services for a variety of electric, gas and oil products.A product bearing the ETL Listing Mark indicates that the product has met the basic requirements of the specified safety standard. In addition, the mark indicates that the manufacturer's facility complies with various compliance measures and is subject to regular follow-up inspections to verify that the product has sustained conformance.

What is NRTL                                                            

Nationally Recognized NRTL is an independent laboratory accredited by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Commission (OSHA) to test products in accordance with the requirements of applicable product safety standards (such as those established by USW UL and other standard-setting bodies).

What does the ETL Listing Mark mean                                        

Simply put, the ETL Listing Mark means that your product has been tested by the NRTL in the U.S. and or the SCC in Canada to meet recognized national standards and to meet the minimum requirements for the sale ordistribution of your product. For distributors, retailers and customers, the ETL mark is a guarantee that the product meets safety standards and has been tested and certified by a third party.

Will the retailer accept the ETL listing mark                                          

Because the ETL Listing Mark is widely accepted and recognized as proof of product compliance, there is no reason why a retailer would not accept an ETL Listing Mark on a product. It is likely that individual retailers ordistributors do notaccept ETL-listed products because of misinformation in the marketplace - misinformation that has misled some manufacturers into believing they cannot choose their own third-party testing partners.

ETL column name flags are not familiar, how else to do                              

There is no standard formula to give users a better understanding of the ETL Listing Mark. The correct approach varies depending on the context, environment, and other details of the specific situation. Some users simply need to show them that other products with the ETL listing mark and respected by all can be found in the Listed Products Catalog to eliminate their concerns. Others may insist that the UL Mark is the only acceptable proof of product compliance, which requires a fuller explanation of the real legal requirements implied by third-party product safety testing. Tell them about the NRTL program and explain to them that the product safetycertification program includes the same testing, listing, labeling, and follow-up inspection services as UL.

Which countries accept the ETL Mark                                                

In the United States and Canada, the ETL Mark is widely accepted as proof of product conformity.

Is the ETL listing mark accepted throughout North America 

Because the ETL Listing Mark is widely recognized and accepted as proof of product compliance with safety standards, retailers, inspectors, and the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) accept ETL-listed products.

History of the ETL Listing Mark

The "ETL" has been around for over 100 years. When manufacturers apply for the ETL Listing Mark for their products, the letters "ETL" bring with them a history of innovation, influence and independence. In fact, the original Electrical Testing Laboratory (ETL) was founded by Thomas Edison in 1896.The Electrical Test Laboratory was established to address the safety and performance of lamps. Edison's idea was to provide assurance to consumers through a variety of product performance and safety tests. Edison pioneered the basic principles of third-party lamp testing methods that are still used today, such as expert monitoring of lamps and bulbs to determine their longevity, luminous intensity, and whether they will burn or explode.

UL is the U.S. Underwriter Laboratories Inc. is the most authoritative and the world's largest private organization engaged in safety testing and accreditation. It is an independent, not-for-profit, professional organization that conducts tests for public safety. It uses scientific testing methods to study and determine whether various materials, devices, products, equipment, buildings and other hazards to life and property and the extent of the hazards; determine, prepare and issue the corresponding standards and information to help reduce and prevent loss of life and property, while carrying out factual research operations.

UL Mark Introduction

UL Mark Style

The UL Mark is usually marked on the product and/or product packaging to indicate that the product has been certified by UL to meet the requirements of safety standards.
Components
The most important component of these marks is the UL design symbols, which are registered trademarks of UL

UL mark use requirements

1. The minimum height of the registered trademark should be 3/64 inches.
2. When the outer diameter of the UL mark is less than 3/8 inch, the registered trademark symbol can be ignored if it is not clearly readable under bare eyes.
3. The mark can be stamped, molded, inked, screen printed or similar methods directly and fixed on the unchanged product.
4. Access to the mark: The manufacturer may reprint or obtain from an authorized UL distributor.
5. ULus mark (only us, no c): safety mark for products entering the U.S. market; cUL (only c, no us): safety mark for products entering the Canadian market; cULus mark: safety mark for products entering the U.S. market and the Canadian market

Services

UL's product certification and testing services can be divided into the main types of listing, recognition and classification.

1. Listing (LISTED):
Generally speaking, the listing applies only to complete products and qualified personnel in the field to replace or install a variety of devices and devices, belonging to a variety of products listed by UL services include: household appliances, medical equipment, computers, commercial equipment and in the building role of various types of electrical products, such as power distribution systems, fuses, wires, switches and other electrical components. Products listed by UL can usually be marked with the UL Listing Mark on each product. The use of the listing mark.

2. Recognition (Recognized):
Recognized service is a program of UL services, the identification of its products can only be used as components, raw materials on UL Listed, Classified or other recognized products. Recognized products are not structurally complete, or have certain restrictions on their use to ensure that the desired safety performance is achieved. In most cases, the tracking service for approved products falls into Category R. Approved products that fall into category L are electronic wire(AVLV2), processed wire (ZKLU2), wire harnesses (ZPFW2), aluminum wire (DVVR2), and metal flexible tubing (DXUZ2). Approved products are required to bear the approval mark.

3. Classification (Classification):
Classification services only for the evaluation of specific hazards of the product, or the implementation of UL standards other than other standards (including internationally recognized standards, such as IEC and ISO standards, etc.) for the evaluation of products. Generally speaking most of the graded products are not products for consumer use, but for industrial or commercial use. the classification mark in the UL mark indicates that the product has certain restrictions and specified scope when identified by UL. For example, for chemicals such as solvents used industrially, only the range of fires that may occur when they reach the ignition temperature is evaluated. Certain products and the same classification services and listing services, but generally only on one or several aspects of the product evaluation, such as in the United States, medical X-ray diagnostic equipment such as national compliance with U.S. laws and regulations relating to radiation emission and beam accuracy, but because UL only X-ray as a graded product, so only to evaluate its mechanical properties, electrical properties and other non-radiation performance of these aspects.

4. Multiple listing, multiple recognition or multiple classification services:
When a UL applicant has obtained the above listing, recognition or classification services, its products to be produced under the name of another company to meet the needs of sales, can apply for multiple listing, multiple recognition or multiple classification services, in this case, the manufacturer who received the listing, recognition or classification is allowed to use the name of another company in the product list, but the product in addition to the company code, product code or UL In addition to any other characteristics deemed acceptable by the company, the product must be consistent with the original listed, recognized or graded product.

5. "AL" listing, recognition or classification services:
If the UL applicant does not want to use his own company name to obtain listing, recognition or classification services, he can apply for listing, recognition or classification under another trade name (usually a retailer or wholesaler), i.e. "AL" listing, recognition or classification services. The difference with multiple listing, multiple recognition or multiple classification services is that the applicant is not a listed person.

6. System Certification Services:
As a member of the International Accreditation Committee, UL is extensively involved in ISO9000 quality system certification, ISO14000 environmental protection certification, QS9000 quality system certification for the automotive industryand AS9000 quality system certification services for the aircraft industry. A total of 116 factories in China have obtained UL's system certification; 21 of them are ISO9001 certified, 85 are ISO9002 certified, 1 is ISO14001 certified and 9 are QS9000 certified.

7. Other services of UL: 

Such as certification services, inspection services, factual judgment services, research services

Other Information

Technical information: voltage frequency AC 120/240/277V 60Hz, U.S. plugs, etc.

Whether mandatory: voluntary
Factory inspection requirements: 4 times a year

If you would like to know more, please feel free to contact us.