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UL Updates Holographic LabelIn this issue:
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UL ListedDocument
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UL Listed SecurityContainers
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What’s Hot... Regulatory Services and ULU7
Questions & Answers
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Canadian Corner: Commissioning of Life Safety SystemsNoncombustible Building Materials
By Richard N. WalkeThe International Building Code makes many references to noncombustible mate-rials in which the term noncombustible is not defined. However, when the term is applied to the definitions for the Types of Construction in Chapter 6, noncombusti-ble materials are defined through testing in accordance with ASTM E 136, “Standard Test Method for the Behavior of Materials in a Vertical Tube Furnace at 750°C.” As such, the design professional and/or contractor needs to identify products that meet the code requirements for
noncombustible materials when specify-ing materials to be used in the applications defined by the Types of Construction. One method of doing this is through the use of materials that are listed by Underwriters Laboratories Inc. under the product category “Noncombustible Build-ing Materials” or which are authorized by UL to bear an adjunct marking indicating compliance with ASTM E 136.
Specifically looking at the 2006 Inter-national Building Code, Chapter 6 defines types of construction as follows:
Type I and II constructions:
Construc-•
tion in which the major building elements, such as structural frame, walls, floor construction and roof construction, are of noncombustible materials with certain exceptions. Type III constructions: Construction in
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which the exterior walls are of noncom-bustible materials and the interior walls are of any permitted material.
The Fire & security Authority®
Published by the Regulatory Services Department and the Fire & Security Sector of Underwriters Laboratories Inc. A Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) Managing editor Kim Mulhall T:: +1.847.664.3606 E:: [email protected] editor Heather Kile T:: +1.847.664.1265 E:: [email protected]
Address changes and additions
T::+1.847.664.2461 F:: +1.847.509.6257 E:: [email protected]
© 2008. All rights reserved. BDI 080806
On June 25, UL introduced a new holographic UL Mark at the 2008
International Law Enforcement IP Crime Conference, an international
consortium of law enforcement and intellectual property crime experts.
uL updates Holographic Label
The new Mark, which will be required in 32common consumer product areas, incor-porates cutting-edge technology, elevated security features and a unique hologram design, making it easy to identify and vali-date, yet incredibly difficult to replicate. “UL’s new holographic label is the most recent element in our efforts to protect and enhance the integrity of our UL Mark,” said Brian Monks, UL’s vice-president of Anti-Counterfeiting Operations. “The new label technology will further help retailers, customs officials and other law enforce-ment agencies around the world determine the legitimacy of UL Marked products.” Since UL first utilized a holographic label in 1996, the UL has regularly updated and added security features to the Mark, making it increasingly difficult for potential counterfeiters to reproduce. Distinct fea-tures of the new hologram label include:
Gold background to help U.S. Customs
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officers and other law enforcement agencies, distributors, retailers and con-sumers quickly identify the new label. Color shifting ink similar to that in the
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new U.S. paper currency.
Repeating pattern of floating UL
sym-•
bols, a distinctive burst pattern around one of the floating UL symbols and wavy lines.
Additional covert security features to
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assist with the authentication of a UL holographic label.
Additionally, UL has added another level of security via the UL Authenticator, a special credit card-size device that authorities can use to better identify counterfeit products. The new holographic label is available for manufacturers as of July 1, 2008. It will be required worldwide on all new production in the 32 hologram categories starting July 1, 2009.
“Counterfeiters will copy and sell anything that turns a profit without regard to quality, safety, or the law,” said Monks. “As part of our zero-toler-ance policy concerning products bearing counterfeit UL Marks, we are constantly working with government and law enforce-ment agencies worldwide to help prevent counterfeit products from entering the marketplace. UL is the only product
testing organization in the world whose label is backed with this level of security and technology.”
If consumers suspect a product may have a counterfeit UL Mark, they can contact UL by e-mailing [email protected]. com. For general information about counterfeiting and UL’s partnership in global anti-counterfeiting efforts, visit www.ul.com/ace.
A device with a UL Mark that has been in use and is “rebuilt” or “refurbished” is an entirely different story. UL does not know what the effect of “rebuilding” or “refurbishing” may have on the safety of the product or the continued validity of the UL certification unless the “rebuilding” or “refurbishing” has been evaluated by UL. In certain product categories UL offers a rebuilt program in which the rebuilder is authorized to use a special UL Mark that indicates the product has been rebuilt or refurbished to UL requirements. In the case of security containers, such as automated teller systems (ATMs) and burglary-resistant safes, a rebuilt/refur-bished program does not exist. Rebuilding or refurbishing a UL Listed security con-tainer requires retesting of the concon-tainer to confirm its continued compliance with UL requirements. If security containers are rebuilt or refurbished without removing the UL Mark, the original certification Mark on the product no longer serves to indicate that the product complies with the appli-cable UL requirements. In such cases, the UL Mark is to be removed lest
con-sumers or users be misled that the rebuilt/ refurbished product is in compliance with UL’s requirements. The validity of a UL Listed security
container can be confirmed by accessing UL’s on-line product certification direc-tory, and searching by the manufacturer and model number.
http://database.ul.com/ cgi-bin/XYV/template/ LIseXT/1FRAMe/index.htm Products in the field that have not been rebuilt or refurbished are still con-sidered Listed, regardless of age, because they were produced in compliance with UL requirements effec-tive at the time the product was manufactured. If a cer-tification cannot be verified, the security container may no longer be in production.
By Derek Mathews
For more information about security containers, please visit the UL Web site at
www.ul.com/ss/. For more technical information
about security containers, please contact Derek Mathews in Northbrook, IL at
+1.8471.664.2928 or at [email protected].
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An authorized use of the UL Mark is a manufacturer’s declaration that
the Listed product was manufactured in accordance with UL safety
requirements applicable to the product at the time it was produced.
uL Listed security Containers
Modifying a uL Listed security container may require removal of the uL Mark
Type IV constructions: Construction in
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which the exterior walls are of noncom-bustible materials and the interior walls are of heavy timber.
Section 703.4 of the International Building Code defines the criteria by which materi-als are considered noncombustible. It states elementary material required to be noncombustible shall be tested to ASTM E 136. It also requires composite materials meet two criteria to be consid-ered noncombustible:
The structural base shall be a
noncom-•
bustible material tested in accordance with ASTM E136.
The surfacing shall be not more than
•
0.125 in. thick and shall have a flame spread index not greater than 50 when testing in accordance with ASTM E 84. The above listed criteria for composite materials recognizes that an essentially noncombustible material with a thin sur-facing will not represent an appreciable fire load, providing the surface flammability of the surfacing material is reasonably low when evaluated in accordance with the Steiner Tunnel test described in ASTM E 84 (UL 723).
ASTM E 136 describes a fire test method whereby a 1-1/2 by 1-1/2 by 2 in high test specimen is inserted within a 3 in. diam-eter refractory tube preheated to 750°C. The specimen is left in the chamber for a maximum of 30 minutes. Section 8 of ASTM E 136 specifies the test material is to be considered as noncombustible when at least three of the four test specimens conform to the following criteria:
When the weight loss of the specimen is
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50% or less, the recorded temperature of the surface and interior thermocou-ples shall not at any time during the test rise more than 30°C above the furnace temperature at the beginning of the test and there shall be no flaming from the specimen after the first 30 seconds. When the weight loss of the specimen
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exceeds 50%, the recorded temperature of the surface and interior thermocou-ples shall not at any time during the test rise above the furnace temperature at the beginning of the test and there shall be no flaming from the specimen.
The second criteria above is intended to recognize that certain materials, such as gypsum and concrete, loose a significant amount of weight due to the release of chemically bonded water, yet do not flame or contribute to the combustion process. Materials which have been investigated and Classified in accordance with ASTM E 136 are published in the UL printed product directories, product directories on CD-ROM and Online Certifications Directory in one of two ways. First, products which have been investigated solely for the performance in accordance with ASTM E 136 are Classified under the product category “Noncombustible Building Materials (BICW)”. Second, products which have also been
investigated for some other performance criteria will contain an adjunct statement relating to ASTM E 136. For example, there are several products Classified for their Surface Burning Characteristics under the product category “Mineral and Fiber Board (BQXR)” which have also been investigated in accordance with ASTM E 136. The Classifications of these products will bear an adjunct statement reading
“Also Classified in accordance with ASTM E 136, “Standard Test Method
for the Behavior of Materials in a Vertical Tube Furnace at 750°C.” Classifications for products investigated to ASTM E136 are best identified using the UL Online Certifications Directory on the UL website, www.ul.com. Once at the online directory, these products can be identified using a keyword search for “E136”.
For more information on noncombustible building materials, contact Rich Walke in Northbrook, IL; at +1.847.664.3084: or at [email protected].
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The benefits are twofold: manufacturer products can move through the List-ing process to market more quickly and documentation users can access the information they need more readily.
The road to change
Change began with conversation. Feed-back from authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs), designers, installers, Certificated Service Auditors and other documentation users indicated that a change in documen-tation requirements would be beneficial. UL began to consider a document to provide a convenient and expedient way to access accurate information about the features, functionality, programming options, compatibilities, etc., that are consistent with the scope of product Listing investigations. As part of UL’s dual focus on quality and service, user feedback led to a sample survey to determine present user practice and found that most users do not use the formal documenta-tion prepared for the products. Almost unanimously, the reason was that the documentation isn’t readily accessible at the design or permit stage and, when it is available, the needed information is too difficult to find in the documentation. Parallel to these concerns, UL engineers and document reviewers invest a signifi-cant amount of total product investigation time in documentation review. Trimming the time allotted for documentation review frees the engineers to focus on the rest of the product Listing process, ultimately shortening project turnaround times.
Process redesign
Armed with incentive for change, UL set out to design a new process to better meet documentation user needs and allow more effective use of technical resources. A collaborative Kaizen meeting between UL representatives and customers was conducted in May 2008 to consider the problem. Kaizen is Japanese for ‘change for the better,’ which, in English, is commonly phrased as ‘continuous improvement.’
User survey feedback was used to guide UL’s options for streamlining the docu-ment review process. It quickly became apparent that document standardization was a simple, yet powerful way to meet the needs for informational clarity and improved turnaround time.
The uL Listing Document
The new documentation process centers around the UL Listing Document (ULLD). The ULLD will contain information regard-ing the followregard-ing areas:
Installation and wiring documents
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Operation and functionality
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Programming options
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Testing and maintenance
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Compatibilities
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System configurations system
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power and size Operating instructions
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Although the ULLD does allow for a level of individuality, the intent is that the basic framework and required content be strictly followed. A specific layout is desirable for two reasons:
The user community will have the
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information they need accessible in the same predictable way from document to document, increasing usability.
Standardized informational flow
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allows UL to streamline the review process due to, again, the predictable layout of information.
UL’s Security and Signaling Department is streamlining the Certification process by
creating standard, focused documentation. The updated process is anchored by the
UL Listing Document, a new, standardized document that communicates the scope
of the UL Listing service clearly to UL engineers and to other documentation users.
uL Listed Document
Collaborative strategic change
The new documentation program is aimed at all products covered by the Standard for Fire Alarm Control Units, UL864. The CCNs covered by that Standard are listed below. As the program proves successful, the plan is to gradually role it into other appropriate areas of Security and Signaling where documentation control is part of the Listing program.
uOJZ — Control Units, Systems uOXX — Control Unit
Accessories, System
uuKL — Smoke Control System Equipment
uOQY — Emergency Communication and Relocation Equipment
uXWK — Accessories, Marine uXKV — Miscellaneous Drives sYsW — Accessories, Releasing Device Service
sYZV — Control Units Releasing Device Services
New standard
Documentation
To appreciate the background of this standard, it is helpful to look at commissioning. Search the Internet under “Building Commissioning” and there are thousands of hits. Depending on the scope of the commissioning, there are also many definitions. But, simply put, commissioning is a process put in place to ensure that a building’s systems perform as they were intended and that they meet the owner’s operational needs. If a building’s energy efficiency system fails to operate as intended, there may be problems and inefficiencies — inaccurate air-conditioning settings may lead to occupant discomfort and cost inefficiencies. However, these are inconveniences that can be corrected. In contrast, the consequences of unnoticed inefficiencies or deficiencies in a life safety system in an emergency situation may be much more serious than being simply uncomfortable! Although Canadian model codes require various components of fire and life safety systems to be tested or verified, the intent behind the proposed new standard is to develop commissioning criteria to cover a complete fire protection system including, but not limited to — fire alarm systems, smoke control systems, door hold-open devices, electromagnetic locking systems, elevator recall, and shutters.
In some provinces, regulators require some form of assurance, for example, British Columbia’s “Letters of Assurance,” is where someone with overall design responsibility signs off on the various components of a building at both the design review stage and the site review stage, including the fire alarm system and the components mentioned earlier. Some local governments take this one
step further and witness the testing of all systems once the building is complete, in the presence of the AHJ and the responsible designer. But these safeguards don’t happen in all cases; many projects are completed on a tight deadline and it becomes a race to the wire, which can leave many loose ends. Add to this the fact that buildings and their systems are getting more complex and keeping up with technological changes gets more challenging for everyone involved. Also, some suggest that enforcement resources are finite and continue to be stretched.
Having a standard that ”commissions” life safety systems in buildings will help address most of these concerns. It will be a valuable tool for the AHJ in ensuring one of the most critical components of a
building is installed and operates as it is intended — the life safety system. It is the ultimate intention of the ULC Committee on Fire Alarm and Life Safety Equipment and Systems to work with the National Model Codes Standing Committees on Use and Egress and the Standing Committee on Housing and Small Buildings, to have CAN/ULC-S575, ‘Building/Facility Commissioning’, introduced into the National Building Code and the National Fire Code to address the commissioning needs of a building’s life safety system as a whole.
For more information on the work being done by the ULC Committee on Fire Alarm and Life Safety Equipment and Systems, contact Mahendra (Mike) Prasad at 1.866.937.3852; or at Mahendra.Prasad@ ca.ul.com.
Commissioning of
Life safety systems
In December 2007, Underwriters’ Laboratories of Canada
announced the development of a new standard, CAN/ULC-S575,
‘Building/Facility Commissioning’. This standard is being developed
to meet several needs.
September has been designated by the U.S. Senate and 15 states as “Campus Fire Safety Month.” The goal of Campus Fire Safety Month is to raise the level of awareness among parents, students, administrators and legislators about the importance of fire safety. In support of this effort, and as part of its ongoing public safety mission, UL has posted a number of valuable items for free download at www.ul.com/newsroom/ campus/index.html, including videos, safety tips, facts and figures and much more.
UL’s commitment to promoting fire safety on college campuses goes beyond producing educational marketing and communication pieces. UL works with the Center for Campus Fire Safety on their Firewise Campus training seminars across the US. These classes afford fire safety professionals a chance to gain an understanding of successful training methodologies for the college age group, as well as receive tools and resources that they can use to effectively educate students and work further to provide a fire-safe campus environment.
Industry sources identify several common factors in a number of fatal campus fires:
Lack of automatic fire sprinklers
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Missing or disabled smoke detectors
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Careless disposal of smoking materials
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Impaired judgment due to alcohol
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consumption
Statistics prove that smoke alarms work. Since they were introduced to consumers in the mid-1970s, smoke alarms have helped reduce fire fatalities by nearly 50 percent, an important message that college students and their parents should receive. Making sure that every campus and off-campus residence has a working smoke alarm, even if it means purchasing one individually, is a worthwhile investment.
Additional information regarding campus fire safety information and educational materials is available through the Center For Campus Fire Safety (CCFS), www.campusfiresafety.org. The Center for Campus Fire Safety is a non-profit organization devoted to reducing the loss of life from fire on college campus, and their mission is to serve as an advocate for the promotion of campus fire safety.
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Questions & Answers
Regulatory services and
uLu announce two new
learning opportunities
UL has launched two web-based training courses for Authorities Having Jurisdiction:
Achieving Code Compliance Using UL Fire Resistance Designs is an hour-long, self-paced course that provides a great overview of fire resistance, including information on testing, relation how UL
fire resistance designs, UL fire resistance testing and the role of UL Fire Resistance Designs in achieving code compliance.
A Code Official’s Guide to UL is also a self-paced, hour-long course that provides key information about UL and provides the answer to a number of common questions.
The UL University online training center can be accessed from UL’s home page by selecting “Training” from the list of UL services menu, or by going to www.uluniversity.com/. Select your geographical location, then select courses under the Authority Having
Jurisdiction heading. The training center contains over 1500 training courses covering a wide range of disciplines and subjects.
uL issues new announcement
UL announces the first issue of the Outline of Investigation for Control and Communication Units for Mass Notification Systems, Subject 2572. This Outline contains requirements covering discrete electrical control units, communication units, transport products which manipulate the data packs, and accessories for mass notification systems.
What’s Hot…
Transition to the ULLD will be grad-ual, allowing a change to the new documentation scheme that doesn’t unduly burden UL or our clients. As new projects come to UL, the new documentation scheme will be used. Small projects or service requests that don’t involve much, if any, docu-mentation change will not require transition to the ULLD. UL along with our clients will decide whether a given project warrants changing to the new scheme. Of course, clients are free to opt to change over to the ULLD at any time.
UL has already begun using the ULLD for new projects. A complete transition to the new documentation process is anticipated by December 2009. Over the coming year, the streamlined documentation portion of the product Listing process will help UL streamline and enhance service while remaining the premier quality provider.
by George Kreiner
For questions regarding the ULLD process, contact George Kreiner at [email protected], or +1.847.664.3004
uL Listed Document
(continued from page 5)
I work on a college campus
and I am wondering if uL has
anything created specifically
for a college environment?
Calendar of events
To the right is a list of meetings and important events for the fire and security communities. If you would like The Fire & Security Authority to consider publishing your upcoming events, contact Heather Kile, editor, in Northbrook, Ill., by e-mail at [email protected]. com. Please type “Calendar” in the subject line.
October 7–10 security essen Essen, Germany www.security–messe.de October 12–17 2008 sFPe Professional Development Conference and exposition society of Fire Protection engineers
Charlotte, N.C. www.sfpe.org
October 28–30
Campus Fire Forum 10 The Center for Campus Fire safety
Providence, Rhode Island www.campusfiresafety.org
October 28–31
China Fire 2008 China Fire Protection Association
Beijing, China www.fireexpo.cn
October 29–30
IsC east 2008 International security Conference and exposition
New York City, NY www.isceast.com
October 30–November 2
symposium in the sun 2008 Volunteer & Combination Officers section of the IAFC
Clearwater Beach, FL www.iafc.org November 4–7 expoprotection 2008 Reed expositions Paris, France www.expoprotection.com December 3–5 Construct Canada 2008 Toronto, Canada www.constructcanada.com Non-Profit Org. US Postage PAID Permit No. 1009 Northbrook, IL
333 Pfingsten Road, Northbrook, IL 60062-2096 United States of America
