Cary, NC -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/23/2009 -- UL certification and labeling issues delay certificates of occupancies for construction projects, almost always at the last minute when contractors can least afford problems. The key to avoiding these problems is using the right purchasing language from the beginning, and having a quickly available resource when a supplier has to provide custom or non-certified equipment.

Some of these problems can be easily avoided by using the correct language in purchasing documents. The language needs to contain references to Federal and State laws, specific terminology that makes finding solutions easier, and a resource person or group for the contractor or their supplier to contact with questions.

The first part is regulations – Federal (OSHA) law for certification of electrical equipment in the workplace is in 29CFR1910.399 and 29CFR1910.303(A). State and local laws can also help contractors. For example, some States have general statues that make the sale of non-certified electrical equipment illegal. Purchasing language works better when it’s tailored to a particular company for their existing purchasing requirements, and should make reference to a list of third party agencies available and acceptable to the local AHJ, (e.g. electrical, building, mechanical inspectors). The final element is the most important – Who to call when you have a “UL” issue, and who to have your suppliers call when they have questions.

CertifiGroup is making a special team available to get these questions answered. Contractors and their suppliers can call 800-422-1651 and ask for assistance, or e-mail info@CertifiGroup.com. The CertifiGroup team is one of the most experienced in the US, and has thousands of certification and field labeling projects to use as references to solve these problems. Our long history with these projects show that this information is not generally available. As a result, contractors and their suppliers are scrambling at the last minute, trying to figure out who to call and how big of a problem these issues represent.

Some examples of supplier questions include: Do you know which US Standard applies to your product? If so, do you have a copy of that Standard? Was your equipment designed with the US requirements for electrical safety in mind? If your equipment doesn’t have a UL or equivalent label, why not? If it doesn’t have a label, has it ever been field evaluated by a nationally recognized testing laboratory? Getting these questions answered can be critical, and having a friendly and informed third party available to help is essential.

This assistance is available at no cost to contractors and their suppliers. The end result of this assistance will be a more profitable job for companies involved in the construction business by avoiding unnecessary and unanticipated delays. Call now for assistance, or visit the website: http://www.CertifiGroup.com.