(Underwriters Laboratories: Northbrook, IL) -- Underwriters Laboratories (UL), a provider in product safety and conformity testing and certification services, announces that UL International (UK) Ltd. (UL UK) has been appointed as a notified body to the Construction Products Directive (CPD). UL UK is now notified as a certification and inspection organization for fire detection and alarm equipment, and fire resistance products and systems. The company can now offer CE marking services within the scope of the CPD alongside the already well-established UL Mark. 

“UL and UL UK are very proud to achieve this designation and are excited about what it means for our valued customers,” says Marco Crosignani, head of the notified body. “Our new service offerings will help expand our already growing certification business in Europe while enhancing overall global market access for UL customers.” 

As a CPD notified body, UL UK can test products to applicable European standards (ENs) and European technical approvals (ETAGs), 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 fire safety products and systems marketed in Europe to demonstrate compliance with relevant CPD requirements. 

“Manufacturers who work with UL for UL Mark services and for their CPD testing and certification needs will gain both a competitive advantage and a strategic partner in UL,” says Chris Hasbrook, vice president and general manager of UL’s global building materials, and life safety and security industries. “UL’s combined services can save customers time and money while increasing their speed to market, with UL serving as a one-stop shop for all their product compliance needs. UL is in a unique position of being able to offer CE marking services alongside the UL Mark, providing economies of scale and consolidation of factory inspection processes.” 

UL UK expects to begin CE certification testing in 2010 and is already accepting customer requests and inquires. For more information about UL’s expertise in building materials and life safety and security testing and certification, visit the industries section on www.ul.com.  

For more information about service offerings in Europe, please contact UL UK at +44-01-483-402-032 or fire&securitysalesULA@uk.ul.com; in North America, contact Ferd DeVoss at (877) 854-3577, ext. 42614 or ferdinand.devoss@us.ul.com; and in China, contact Claudia Xu at +86-512-68086400, ext. 66691 or claudia.xu@cn.ul.com.