Fire Hazard Testing / Certifications

Hi All,

I’m working on new consumer product that generates heat and I’m concerned about the testing that needs to go into this to be assured that it won’t be a fire hazard in any way. Can anybody lead me in the right direction to figuring out exactly what testing would need to be done? It could sell anywhere from the big box stores to the small independent stores and beyond. Please Help!

Brian

Call UL. http://ul.com/

Call UL.

And while you’re at it, call a Swiss Bank, you’ll need one. :wink:

Depends on what is generating the heat. Electronics, UL. But something like a camping stove would have a CSA cert. Chemical heating pack, perhaps an NSF cert. ANSI may have a say too. Depends on the product.

Lew: I assume if the guys has big clients lined up and he’s started tooling, maybe placed orders, he can afford UL. I don’t think I’ve seen anything under $10k though. Maybe an average of $20k for UL. Depends on the testing schedule.

Hi bpovich,

First, it all depends on the markets in which the product will be sold, then it depends on the level of liability with which the client is comfortable and then lastly, how much money does the client want to part with in order to determine the product’s safety likelihood.

In the US, having product UL registered is optional in most categories (medical, government use, etc require certain certifications but for sale-to-the-public in most retail stores those certifications are not required).

You can bypass the actual process that UL uses to certify products for fire / burn / melt safety by using already-UL-certified materials and with proper design and location of internals. We often deal with UL, CSA and most of the other certifying agencies and know how to get through the landmines as efficiently as possible. Let me know if we can help.

Thanks for the help all! Makes sense and gives me some good direction.

Brian