UL International (UK) Ltd. Appointed as Notified Body to the European PPE Directive for Personal Flotation Devices

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Feb. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- UL, a world leader in advancing safety, today announced UL International (UK) Ltd. (UL UK) has been appointed as a notified body to the European Personal Protective Equipment Directive (PPE). UL UK is now notified as a testing and certification organization for personal flotation devices (PFD) including life jackets, vests, seat cushions, deck suits and all other flotation devices. The company can now offer CE Marking services for Europe in addition to the already well-established UL and ULC Mark for the US and Canada.  PFD manufacturers gain the benefit of being able to work with a single certification organization for access to both Europe and North America, reducing time and cost to gain market access.

"Manufacturers who work with UL for UL and ULC Mark services and for their PPE testing and certification needs now gain the competitive advantage of utilizing UL for CE Marking services as well," said Chris Hasbrook, vice president and general manager, UL's Global Building Materials and Life Safety & Security Industries. "UL is in the unique position of being able to offer this combined bundle of services, saving customers time and money while increasing their speed to market, while serving as a one-stop-shop for all their product compliance needs."

As a PPE Notified Body for PFDs, UL UK can test products to applicable European standards (ENs), utilizing UL's network of state-of-the-art test facilities, and issue a CE Certificate of conformity.  The CE Certificate of conformity is mandatory for PFDs marketed in Europe to demonstrate compliance with relevant PPE requirements.  In the US, PFDs worn on various watercrafts are required to conform with standards set by the U.S. Coast Guard.  UL and the U.S. Coast Guard partner to provide a UL Listing and Coast Guard approval for life jackets, vests, seat cushions, deck suits and all other flotation devices. In Canada, PFDs require Transport Canada (TC) Approvals. UL provides a ULC listing to CAN/CGSB standards accepted for TC approvals for use in Canada.

UL has more than 40 years of experience testing and certifying PFDs and has conducted extensive research related to PFDs. The company's expert technical teams are knowledgeable in both UL and European Standards and operate facilities worldwide.  

For more information about UL's testing and certification services for the PFD industry, visit the industries section on www.ul.com. For more information about UL's complete portfolio of Life Safety & Security service offerings in Europe please contact Chris Miles at +44 1925 425945 or at [email protected], and in North America contact Ferd DeVoss at +1-877-ULHELPS ext. 42614 or [email protected].

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SOURCE UL