Underwriter’s Laboratory (UL) the well-known independent provider of safety certificates, has recently released a new website called the UL safety index. It scores countries around the world for safety.

UL, since forever

UL is a 122-year-old company has been long known in the United States and Canada for its independent testing of materials and goods, in many industries. Now, it wants to increase global awareness and encourage collaboration on health security and safety, by publishing country-based statistical information. With this site, UL “seeks to address gaps in knowledge and information about health and safety”

UL safety index data

To create the index, data was gathered on 187 countries, on protective frameworks (standards created by institutions), social forces (education, government effectiveness, etc.) as well as what is called “specific health outcomes related to safety” (stats on different categories of unintentional injuries).

An interesting read

This site certainly makes for an interesting read.

For example, it is surprising to find out that Canada has a higher-than-global average in many types of unintentional injuries. These include Drowning, Fire, heat & hot substances, poisonings, transport injuries and exposure to mechanical forces. However, this is strongly offset by our country’s protective framework and social environment, including GDP per capita, government effectiveness, technology related readiness, education and consumer protections. Canada comes the sixth safest, behind countries like the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, but also in front of the USA.

 

 

Countries with the lowest ranking such as South Sudan and Somalia, at grips with war and anarchic social conditions, are also unsafe because of poverty and the lack of government.

UL ou CSA?

With this site, UL seeks to position itself as a global leader in safety standards. They are indeed the leading testing and certification body in the USA, however not necessarily in the whole world. CSA, the Canadian Standards Association is also wide recognized across the globe for its certification services. What’s more, CSA is able to test and certify by UL standards. UL is also able to test and certify by CSA standards.

 

 

The safety certificate your product requires can, of course, depend on a variety of conditions including what regulatory body oversees its market and what country you are selling into.

Regardless of the certification though you will need a certification label that complies to the standards. The specialists here at IMS can design a certification label for your product, no matter what the industry.

Learn more. Contact us, we’ll be happy to help!

 

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