What Is Underwriters Laboratories?
Let me tell you directly: Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is a global safety science company, and it's the largest and oldest independent testing laboratory in the United States. UL tests the latest products and technologies for safety before they hit the market worldwide. It handles 22 billion different products each year, covering everything from consumer electronics, alarms, and security equipment to lasers, medical devices, and robotics.
Founded in 1894, Underwriters Laboratories provides services in five strategic areas: product safety, environment, life and health, university, and verification services. The company has over 14,000 employees living in 40 countries. As of 2021, they're led by CEO Jennifer Scanlon. In 2012, Underwriters Laboratories set up a for-profit subsidiary called UL LLC.
Key Takeaways
- Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is a global not-for-profit safety science company that employs over 14,000 people who live in 40 countries.
- UL is the largest and oldest independent testing laboratory in the United States, founded in 1894.
- Underwriters Laboratories is funded by grants, document licensing, and the fees it charges manufacturers of products submitted for certification.
Understanding Underwriters Laboratories (UL)
Underwriters Laboratories operates as a non-profit organization, funded by the fees it charges manufacturers for product certification. UL collects fees for the initial evaluation and ongoing maintenance for follow-up services. Even though UL is profitable, that profit goes back into the business, since making profit isn't the company's stated goal.
UL's operations span the globe, serving customers in more than 143 countries. You'll see 22 billion UL Marks on products every year, and UL reaches 8.5 million consumers in Asia, Europe, and North America annually with safety messages.
History of Underwriters Laboratories
The origins of Underwriters Laboratories go back to the 1890 World’s Fair in Chicago, which drew massive crowds. UL’s founder, William Henry Merrill Jr., a graduate of MIT's electrical engineering program, was there working for the Boston Board of Fire Underwriters to check for fire risks in the fairgrounds' new constructions.
At the fair, Merrill Jr. connected with insurance underwriters and pitched his idea for an electrical testing laboratory. They backed it, with funding from the Western Insurance Union and the Chicago Underwriters Association, leading to the formation of the Underwriters Electrical Bureau.
That bureau evolved into the Electrical Bureau of the National Board of Fire Underwriters, with a mission to promote safe working and living conditions. By 1895, it had hired its first employees. The organization started with three staff members and a $3,000 annual budget. In 1901, it officially became Underwriters Laboratories and set up headquarters in Illinois.
Merrill Jr. took on the role of manager at UL, with Henry Clay Eddy as the new president. In 1903, UL issued its first safety standards, starting with tin-clad fire doors.
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