Safety consulting, certification and standards creation are among the core competencies of the Underwriters Laboratory. The organization supports manufacturers in vital industries, by promoting adherence to safety standards and best practices. The mission, scope, and services the UL provides impact your business and the operations of your suppliers.
Overview
The mission of the UL is stated simply, but its implications are wide-ranging. Working for a safer world is the organization’s driving purpose. The principles and values supporting this mission include the application of safety science and hazard-based safety engineering. Research, investigation, and support of environmentally safe products are also key drivers. The organization fulfills its mission by offering a wide variety of services and solutions that range from thought-leadership to certification.
Stakeholders and industries serviced by the UL include manufacturers, service companies, retailers, consumers, and regulators. The benefits of maintaining safety standards and UL certification include sustainability and socially responsible business practices. Input from stakeholders informs the direction and standards creating process, making it important to take an active interest in the organization and its strategic initiatives. If customers are suffering from manufacturing safety issues, cybersecurity risks or inefficient operations, the UL can leverage its resources to help.
Services
The spectrum of UL services helps stakeholders improve multiple facets of their operations and value chain. Industry standards, advisory guides, and best practices give businesses benchmarks for performance. However, testing and system auditing administered by UL personnel provide a high level of management assurance. UL certifications, in particular, add credibility to businesses that can market their credentials to enhance competitive advantage.
Categories of services offered include:
-Testing
-Auditing
-Certification
-Inspection
-Validation & Verification
-Advisory & Education
Engagements that involve UL personnel can be tailored to individual clients that are public or private. The net benefit to stakeholders in these engagements is hard to quantify. Safe, socially responsible manufacturing and service environments are good for society, employees and investors. Without the UL, organizations would struggle to develop their own standards of performance, without the insight and guidance of other industry experts and professionals.
Standards
The subject matter covered by UL standards includes, but are not limited to, the safety of products and the testing of systems and services. Measuring and validating performance, environmental health and safety are also important areas focused on in the standards. Given that technology and the business world are constantly evolving, standards constantly need maintenance to ensure that industry stakeholders focus on relevant best practices.
The standard setting process is formal and incorporates peer review techniques, to create final guidelines for stakeholders. There is a concerted effort to harmonize the standards to prevent duplication or the repetition of ideas and to correlate with other industry standards. Standard setting is a continual work-in-progress, and members of the UL dedicate much of their time and energy supporting, protecting and enhancing the integrity of the standards system.
Solutions
The UL offers enterprise solutions that mitigate risk and enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of operations. Cybersecurity, management systems, knowledge systems, and product supply chain intelligence are among the solutions offered. UL personnel partner with stakeholders to find the right products and services to optimize operations. This relationship is beneficial for businesses, their investors and customers. Transactional solutions and other financial products are also available, for companies looking to optimize their revenue cycle and accounting processes.
Continuous improvement solutions, revolving around concepts such as six sigma, lean, quality management systems and quality auditing are available. Quality assurance initiatives have the power to transform organizations on multiple levels, including financial and customer-related measures. Profits can go up and waste costs can decrease when quality is at the forefront of organizational objectives. Customer satisfaction can also reach new levels. UL personnel work with clients to customize quality solutions to meet clients’ needs.
To learn more about the Underwriters Laboratory and Hallmark Nameplate products and services, please contact us today. We strive to meet or exceed customer expectations through adherence to industry best practices. Knowing safety and production standards is key for maintaining product quality.
