What Is An “NRTL” and What Is Its Role?

You may have heard the term “Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory” or “NRTL” but what does it mean?

An NRTL is an independent third-party organization recognized by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) to provide evaluation, testing and certification of products. All NRTLs conduct testing and certification based on safety standards developed by organizations such as the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and Underwriters Laboratories (UL).

NRTLs directly benefit you by:

• Easing your burden in ensuring manufacturers and building owners comply with building codes, electrical safety codes, municipal codes and fire codes
• Conducting testing backed by transparent research reports
• Giving you the information you need to perform your job efficiently and effectively
• Providing assurance that a product has been properly tested and complies with current standards through its recognizable certification marks

Today OSHA recognizes 17 organizations with sites throughout the U.S. and Canada as NRTLs. When you see a certification mark from any of these organizations, you can trust the product meets OSHA’s stringent requirements and has been tested by an accredited, competent and objective third party.

For a complete list of NRTLs, please visit the OSHA website.