UL Canada celebrates 100 years of product certification

During the pandemic, ULC has shifted key parts of its business to a virtual model.   Photo: Fotolia

TORONTO — Underwriters Laboratories of Canada (recognized by its ULC mark) officially celebrates its 100th anniversary in Canada this year as a product certification body.

The global safety science company based in Toronto focuses on helping companies demonstrate safety, enhance sustainability, strengthen security, deliver quality, manage risk and achieve regulatory compliance.

“As our customers have innovated to succeed in their own industries, we too have innovated our proven scientific processes and solutions to drive positive changes,” said Joseph Hosey, country manager for UL in Canada.

Over the past year, facing challenges brought on by COVID-19, UL shifted key parts of its business to a virtual model, including remote inspections, audits and witness testing, to compensate for modified working arrangements and keeping its employees as well as its customers safe.

“It’s less invasive to our customers’ operations, and we can still deliver best-in-class services to our customers regardless of where they are,” Hosey said.

Some recent developments include:

• Aquiring CLEB, a Montreal-based building envelope and building sciences service provider in 2017 to increase building science services that included building envelope testing, building forensics, field testing and building system commissioning for architects, building owners and manufacturers.
• When Canada legalized recreational cannabis in 2018, UL saw the need for safety services with this new and unregulated industry. UL recently partnered with the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) to host an international workshop agreement through the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) to further define industry guidelines.
• UL opened a new office in Edmonton in 2019 to provide local support to the country’s energy hub.

As UL focuses on the next 100 years, the company said in a statement it looks to continue to help support customer growth.