Underwriters Laboratories' Functional Safety Certificate program covers products that are evaluated for functional safety only, without UL Listing. The Three-Year Functional Safety Certificate means that UL has evaluated a sample of the product and determined that it complies with the safety requirements of a published functional safety standard. Functional safety is that part of overall safety that depends on the correct functioning of safety-related control systems and software. A functional safety investigation involves the evaluation of a safety critical circuit for its efficacy and reliability covering safety aspects related to software, hardware, environmental stress factors (such as EMC), and safety lifecycle management processes.
“These certificates can be valuable in supporting declarations of conformity to European Directives,” says Kevin Connelly, business development manager at Underwriters Laboratories.
Manufacturers wanting to sell in Europe must ensure that their products fulfill the relevant European Directives (low voltage, EMC, machinery, etc.) to show the CE mark. The functional safety certificate is a key element in demonstrating compliance with European law based on the manufacturer’s declaration of conformity.
Products that receive a UL functional safety certificate only are ineligible to use any UL mark in their advertising or promotions. However, manufacturers may reference that the “product has a UL functional safety certificate” in advertising and promotions. When displaying the UL functional safety certificate or forwarding copies of the UL functional safety certificate to third parties, the manufacturer must forward the certificate in its entirety without excluding any sections or making modifications.
If a manufacturer is producing a limited quantity of the product (e.g., a ‘one-off’ order for a specific contract that will not reproduced after delivery), he may prefer the Three Year Functional Safety Certificate to the mark, as there are no follow up inspections associated with the certificate program. The certificate would demonstrate compliance with the necessary functional safety standard, such as IEC 61508 or ISO 13849.
For more information on UL’s functional safety certificate program, please contact Kevin Connelly at 631-546-2691 or [email protected], or go to the Web at http://www.ul.com/global/eng/pages/offerings/industries/powerandcontrols/functional/certificate/
