Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory
 | This article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject. (October 2009) |
The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that 38 different types of products, devices, assemblies, or systems used in the workplace be "approved" (i.e., tested and certified) by third-party organizations called Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories (NRTLs). "Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory" (or "NRTL") is a recognition given by OSHA, as part of its NRTL Program, to testing facilities acknowledging that an organization has the necessary qualifications to perform safety testing and certification of specific products covered within its scope to provide product safety testing and certification services to manufacturers for use of select types of products, devices, assemblies, or systems. The testing and certification are conducted in accordance with U.S. consensus-based product safety test standards. These test standards are not developed or issued by OSHA but by U.S. standards organizations, such as the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), arrived at by consensus amongst representatives of other standards organizations, government agencies, consumer groups, companies, and others. The range of products covered is limited to those items for which OSHA safety standards require "certification" by an NRTL.
OSHA, an agency of the United States Department of Labor, publishes a list of Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories.
Organizations currently recognized by OSHA as NRTLs:
- Canadian Standards Association (CSA) (also known as CSA International)
- Communication Certification Laboratory, Inc. (CCL)
- Curtis-Straus LLC (CSL)
- FM Approvals LLC (FM) (formerly Factory Mutual Research Corporation)
- International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials EGS (IAPMO)
- Intertek Testing Services NA, Inc. (ITSNA) (formerly ETL)
- MET Laboratories, Inc. (MET)
- NSF International (NSF)
- QAI Laboratories, LTD (QAI)
- QPS Evaluation Services, Inc. (QPS)
- SGS U.S. Testing Company, Inc. (SGSUS) (formerly UST-CA)
- Southwest Research Institute (SWRI)
- TUV Rheinland PTL, LLC (TÜVPTL)
- TUV SUD America (TÜVAM)
- TUV SUD Product Services GmbH (TÜVPSG)
- TUV Rheinland of North America (TÜV)
- Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL)
References
- "Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories @ OSHA website". Retrieved 2009-01-09.
- "OSHA Directive CPL 1-0.3". Retrieved 2009-10-23.