TheUL enterprise[4] is a global private safety company headquartered inNorthbrook, Illinois, composed of three organizations,UL Research Institutes,UL Standards & Engagement andUL Solutions.
Established in 1894, the UL enterprise was founded as the Underwriters' Electrical Bureau (a bureau of theNational Board of Fire Underwriters),[5] and was known throughout the 20th century asUnderwriters Laboratories. On January 1, 2012, Underwriters Laboratories became the parent company of a for-profit company in the U.S. named UL LLC, alimited liability company, which took over theproduct testing and certification business. On June 26, 2022, the companies rebranded into three distinct organizations that make up the UL enterprise.
Underwriters Laboratories Inc. was founded in 1894 byWilliam Henry Merrill. After graduating from theMassachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with a degree inelectrical engineering in 1889, Merrill went to work as an electrical inspector for the Boston Board of Fire Underwriters.[8] At the turn of the twentieth century, fire loss was on the rise in the United States, and the increasing use of electricity in homes and businesses posed a serious threat to property and human life.[9]
In order to determine and mitigate risk, Merrill proposed to open a laboratory where he would use scientific principles to test products for fire and electrical safety. The Boston Board of Fire Underwriters turned this idea down, perhaps due to Merrill's youth and relative inexperience at the time.
In May 1893, Merrill moved to Chicago to work for the Chicago Fire Underwriters' Association. His task was to inspect the city's fire alarm systems. He was also sent to the 1893 World's Fair to inspect the Fair's electrical installations and the Palace of Electricity. In order to determine and mitigate risk in his role as an electrical inspector, Merrill found it necessary to conduct tests on building materials and electrical components. Upon seeing a growing potential in this field, Merrill stayed in Chicago to found Underwriters Laboratories. He received initial funding from the Chicago Fire Underwriters' Association and the Western Insurance Union, a local insurance organization. With $350 of equipment, he opened a small laboratory on the third floor of a local fire insurance patrol station, signing UL's first test report on March 24, 1894.[10]
Merrill soon went to work on developing safety standards, conducting tests, and uncovering hazards. In the early years, UL tested three main types of products: devices meant to stop fire (such as fire extinguishers), devices meant to resist fire (such as fire doors), and devices that frequently caused fire (like wires used for electrical installations).[11] This work soon expanded, and throughout the twentieth century, UL certified many pivotal consumer technologies, such as vacuum cleaners, televisions, microwaves, personal computers, and more.[12]
UL published its first standard, "Tin Clad Fire Doors", in 1903. In 1906, UL established a Label Service for certain product categories that require more frequent inspections. Products that passed UL's testing and regular inspections were given a UL label, which eventually evolved into the UL Mark. From 1905 to 1979, UL Headquarters was located at 207-231 East Ohio Street in Chicago.[13] In 1979, the organization moved its headquarters to a 153-acre campus in Northbrook, Illinois, 25 miles north of its former downtown Chicago location.
UL Solutions has evolved from its roots in electrical and fire safety to address broader safety issues, such as hazardous substances, water quality, food safety, performance testing, safety and compliance education, andenvironmental sustainability.
On January 1, 2012, Underwriters Laboratories became the parent company of a for-profit company in the U.S named UL LLC, a limited liability corporation. The for-profit company took over the product testing and certification business.
Underwriters' Laboratories, 207-231 East Ohio Street, Chicago
In 2022, the company revised their go-to-market strategy to include three separate organizations - UL Solutions, UL Standards & Engagement, and UL Research Institutes.[14]
UL 1635, Standard for Digital Alarm Communicator System Units (ANSI Approved: April 13, 2018)[41]
UL 1981, Central-Station Automation Systems (ANSI Approved: March 29, 2023)[42]
UL 2050, National Industrial Security Systems (Revised: November 07, 2010)[43]
UL 2610, Commercial Premises Security Alarm Units and Systems (ANSI Approved: April 07, 2021)[44]
UL 2900-1, Software Cybersecurity for Network-Connectable Products, Part 1: General Requirements (ANSI Approved: April 14, 2023)[45]
UL 2900-2-3, Software Cybersecurity for Network-Connectable Products, Part 2-3: Particular Requirements for Security and Life Safety Signaling Systems (ANSI Approved: September 21, 2023)[46]
A certification logo for the Canadian division of UL Solutions
CAN/ULC-S101-07, Standard Methods for Fire Endurance Tests of Building Construction and Materials
CAN/ULC-S102-10, Standard Methods of Test for Surface-Burning Characteristics of Building Materials and Assemblies
CAN/ULC-S102.2-10, Standard Methods of Test for Surface-Burning Characteristics of Flooring, Floor Coverings, and Miscellaneous Materials and Assemblies
CAN/ULC-S104-10, Standard Methods for Fire Tests of Door Assemblies
CAN/ULC-S107-10, Standard Methods for Fire Tests of Roof Coverings
CAN/ULC-S303-M91 (R1999), Standard Methods for Local Burglar Alarm Units and Systems[47]
The Recognized Component MarkTheRecognized Component Mark (left) on aprinted circuit board
The Recognized Component Mark is a type of safety certification mark issued by UL Solutions. It is placed oncomponents which are intended to be part of a UL certified end product, but which cannot bear the full ULmark themselves.[48] The general public does not ordinarily come across it, as it is borne on components which make up finished products.
^Engineering Progress: The Revolution and Evolution of Working for a Safer World. UL. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
^Knowles, Scott (2011). “Chapter 1: The Devil’s Privilege.”The Disaster Experts: Mastering Risk in Modern America. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press, pp. 21-61.
^Brearley, Harry Chase (1923). "4: The Genesis of Underwriters' Laboratories".A Symbol of Safety: An Interpretive Study of a Notable Institution. Doubleday. pp. 17–23.
^Rathom, John R. (1902-11-23). "Where Fire-Defying Inventions Are Tested".The Sunday Record-Herald. Chicago.
^"About UL: History". UL.{{cite web}}:Missing or empty|url= (help)
^“Underwriters' Laboratories, 207-231 East Ohio Street, Chicago, Cook County, IL.” Historic American Buildings Survey, Engineering Record, Landscapes Survey, Library of Congress. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
US$2.68 billion (2023)[1]
US$276 million (2023)[2]
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