Certification Vendors
NRTL Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory
The NRTL Program recognizes mainly private sector organizations that provide product safety testing and certification services to manufacturers.
The testing and certification are performed to U.S. consensus-based product safety test standards, on items for which the Occupational Health & Safety Administration (OSHA) requires safety standards.
These test standards are not developed or issued by OSHA, but are issued by U.S. standards organizations, such as the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
The range of products covered by the Program is limited to those items for which OSHA safety standards require "certification" by an NRTL. The requirements mainly affect electrical products, and many products used in the foodservice industry.
Recognition is granted to organizations that meet the requirements established by OSHA for an NRTL. The Program regulations list the requirements, which are summarized as follows:
- Capability (including proper testing equipment and facilities, trained staff, written test procedures, and quality assurance programs) to test and evaluate equipment for conformance with appropriate test standards
- Adequate controls for the identification of certified products, conducting follow-up inspections of actual production
- Complete independence from users (i.e., employers subject to the tested equipment requirements) and from any manufacturers or vendors of the certified products
- Effective procedures for producing its findings and for handling complaints and disputes
Certification Marks
NRTLs use the following marks to certify products for purposes of OSHA product-approval requirements. However, the presence of the mark on a product does not necessarily mean that it meets OSHA requirements, since NRTLs sometimes use these same or similar marks for non-OSHA purposes. OSHA accepts only those products that contain the NRTL's mark and that the NRTL has certified within its scope of recognition, which includes the test standards and testing sites that OSHA has recognized for the NRTL. See theOSHA web page for information on each NRTL's scope of recognition, or contact OSHA or the NRTL for additional information.| Applied Research Laboratories, Inc. (ARL) |  |
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| Canadian Standards Association (CSA) |  |
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| Used for products meeting only U.S. standards | Used for products meeting both U.S. and Canadian standards | |
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| Used for gas-fueled products meeting U.S. standards2 | ||
| Canadian Standards Association (CSA)(mark formerly used by the American Gas Association (AGA), exclusively licensed to CSA until June 30, 2001) |  |
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| Communication Certification Laboratory, Inc. (CCL) |  |
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| Curtis-Straus LLC (CSL) |  |
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| Electro-Test, Inc. (ETI) |  |
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| FM Global Technologies LLC (FM) (also known as FM Approvals and formerly Factory Mutual Research Corporation) |  |
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| Intertek Testing Services NA, Inc. (ITSNA) (formerly ETL Testing Laboratories, Inc.) | Used for products meeting only U.S. standards | Used for products meeting both U.S. and Canadian standards |
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| MET Laboratories, Inc. (MET) |  |
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| NSF International (NSF) |  |
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| National Technical Systems, Inc. (NTS) |  |
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| SGS U. S. Testing Company, Inc. (SGSUS) (formerly U.S. Testing Company, Inc.) |  |
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| Southwest Research Institute (SWRI) |  |
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| TUV America, Inc. (TUVAM) |  |
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| TUV Product Services GmbH (TUVPSG) |  |
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| TUV Rheinland of North America, Inc. (TUV) |  |
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| NRTL previously used but ceased authorizing on or about January 2000. | ||
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| Used for products meeting only U.S. standards | Used for products meeting both U.S. and Canadian standards | |
| Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) | ||
| Used for products meeting only U.S. standards | Used for products meeting both U.S. and Canadian standards | |
| Basic marks |  |
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| Equivalent to above |  |
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| "Used on products which UL has evaluated for specific properties, a limited range of hazards, or suitability for use under limited or special conditions. Typically, products Classified by UL fall into the general categories of building materials and industrial equipment." Examples: fire doors, protective gear for fire fighters, industrial trucks. |  |
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| Wyle Laboratories (WL) |  |
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1 Certification marks registered by the NRTL with the US Patent and Trademark Office. Some NRTLs may have additional marks; however, the core logo of the additional marks should be the same as represented here. If you have questions about the authenticity of any mark, contact the NRTL.
2 OSHA requirements for testing and certification of gas operated equipment is limited to equipment using "liquefied petroleum gas" ("LPG" or "LP-Gas"). Revision Date: 28 April 2003From OSHA's main page on NRTL's: www.osha.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/index.html
Other Marks
What's the difference between the familiar UL Mark and other Listed Marks? All NRTL marks demonstrate that the product that bears it has met the minimum requirements of widely accepted product safety standards as determined through the independent testing of a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL). And, as part of that testing regimen, the product manufacturer has agreed to periodic follow-up inspections to verify continued compliance. So, the only real difference between the marks is in the service, and services of the testing laboratory behind them.
CE Mark. This is a mandatory European marking for certain product groups to indicate conformity with the essential health and safety requirements set out in European Directives. The letters 'CE' are an abbreviation of Conformité Européenne, French for European conformity. The CE mark must be affixed to a product if it falls under the scope of the approx. 20 so called 'New Approach' Directives. Without the CE marking, and thus without complying with the provisions of the Directives, the product may not be placed in the market or put into service in the fifteen member states of the European Union and Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. However, if the product meets the provisions of the applicable European Directives, and the CE mark is affixed to a product, these countries may not prohibit, restrict or impede the placing in the market or putting into service of the product. Thus, CE marking can be regarded as the products trade passport for Europe.
The CE mark is unrelated to the requirements for product safety in the US. It is a generic mark used in the European Union (EU) to indicate that a manufacturer has declared that the product meets requirements in the EU for product safety. In the US, under OSHA's NRTL requirements, the product must have the specific mark of one of the NRTLs recognized to test and certify these types of products.
S Mark. An electrical, mechanical or electro-mechanical product bearing the S mark signifies that it was tested and meets the minimum requirements of prescribed and harmonized European Union product safety standards.
GS Mark. An electrical, mechanical or electro-mechanical product bearing the GS mark indicates that it was tested and complies with the minimum requirements of the German Device Safety Act (a.k.a., GSG). The GS mark is a licensed mark of the German government, which may only be issued by an accredited product safety testing and certification agency. ETL SEMKO is authorized to issue the GS mark-wholly enabled by the electro-technical products partnership its parent company ITS maintains with the German-based Dekra Certification Services. A GS mark issued by ETL SEMKO will carry the "ITS" corporate identifier in the upper left-hand corner of the mark.
(Note: The above companies and OSHA are not affiliated with olitesonine.com in any way. The above information is provided for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as complete.)