MET Laboratories launches new UL Listed Sign Shop program for the US.

PR Log (Press Release) – Jun 19, 2009 – For the first time in the history of Product Safety, MET Laboratories is offering an alternative to the Underwriters Laboratories UL 48 Listed Sign Shop. The new program is affordable and business friendly, breaking the multi-decade UL monopoly for this important product category.

Most UL certification product categories require the manufacturer to list specific products and record every component in a “Listing” report. If there are any changes to the product, the testing lab must be notified and review the new parts for acceptability. Sometimes re-testing is required for significant changes.

The Listed Sign Shop program is different. Sign manufacturers who qualify are allowed to make many different signs, varying in size and design. To qualify, there is an initial training program resulting in a list of qualified sign builders. The sign builders are trained to understand the UL standard and other National Electrical Code regulations, then they have the ability to create many different signs as long as the rules for design and construction are followed. After the initial training and qualification, MET Laboratories will send inspectors to the sign shop at various times of the year. At these inspections, any products available will be reviewed, the personnel list verified and updated, and file of completed projects gone through. Also, these visits will be an opportunity for the sign shop managers and personnel to get questions answered, receive assistance, and plan for the future with current product safety news and technology standards updates.

Several years ago, MET started offering a similar program for builders of industrial control panels, UL 508A and UL 698A. This program has been a huge success, and many panel shops switched over from UL to MET. Now the same benefits can be enjoyed by sign shop owners across the US. Phil Henning, a technical sales representative for MET Laboratories’ Southeast office has been receiving numerous calls and e-mails from sign manufacturers. “Many of these businesses are frustrated with the UL monopoly for Listed Signs. There are reports that UL may be taking advantage of these businesses, using hidden fees and cost increase tactics that make these products more expensive by adding unnecessary requirements that have nothing to do with electrical safety. Most people realize that only having one choice for a service is no choice at all. Our new program gives sign makers another, better choice from the only option that has ever been available”, says Henning. “We look forward to helping these companies make their products more affordable and their operations easier to run”.

Phil Henning can be contacted at 800-321-4655, at the MET Laboratories Southeast headquarters and testing facility in Cary, NC. The MET Southeast office engineering team will be performing the actual training and factory inspections. The MET Southeast office has been in the Raleigh-Durham RTP area for over 16 years.

MET is a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL), approved by OSHA to certify multiple product categories. For information on MET, go to www.osha.gov and select “N” from the alphabetical menu. You can then look at the OSHA scope of accreditation for MET Laboratories. You will notice UL 48 early in the list.