When you are looking for a product and want to make sure it has a safety rating and is suitable for use in your end product, you must be aware of the slight differences in wording associated with UL labels.

UL Listed – This means that samples of the device have been physically tested by a UL-accredited testing facility to nationally recognized Safety Standards, and has been found to be free from reasonably foreseeable risk of fire, electric shock, and related hazards. These devices will have a testing report associated with them, and a reference number that can be used to look up that report. They are allowed to display the logo below:

UL Listed mark, showing the product has been physically tested and has passed all tests

UL Recognized – This means that device is made out of materials that have been evaluated as safe, but are intended to be used at some point in a larger system. They may not have been tested but are built out of recognized materials.

UL Recognized Component Mark

A good example of “Recognized” product would be Appliance Wire, which is covered under the Appliance Wiring Material (AWM) standard. AWM is a large category of wire or cable that spans many different constructions. UL recognizes the construction under a “UL Style” number, and for each number there is a one-page reference that calls out gauge size range, insulation material and thickness, temperature and voltage rating. While each manufacturer that builds wire and cable may not have their individual wire and cable offerings tested by UL, they have entered into an agreement with UL to manufacture wire and cable according to the standard, and thus they can advertise “Recognized” product. UL makes this database publicly available, you can find it here.

When you have a question on a UL requirement for a component or product, feel free to call or drop us a line at Summitech. We can assist you in evaluating your requirements, and can provide factory documentation to keep your UL submissions on track.