This article was posted 02/26/2008 and is most likely outdated.

Master Label of a Lightning Protection System
 

 

Topic - Lightning
Subject - Master Label of a Lightning Protection System

February 26, 2008
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Master Label of a Lightning Protection System

 

iamgeQuestion: If you have a licensed lightning protection contractor, does their installation automatically get Master Label or a 3rd party person/company need to inspect and certified the installation?

Answer: The Master Label program for lightning protection is administered by Underwriters Laboratories and dates back to the 1920’s. UL maintains two lightning protection standards- UL96 which governs the materials used for lightning protection and UL96A which governs system design and installation. The Master Label is certification by UL that a lightning protection system meets both of these standards. To obtain a UL Master Label, a building owner needs to hire a UL listed Lightning Protection installation contractor. The installer will design and install a system that uses materials manufactured by a UL listed lightning protection manufacturer. Upon completion of the installation, the installer will submit an application to UL for a Master Label for that specific project. Within a few weeks (in theory) a UL field representative (inspector) will visit the site and verify that the system meets UL96 and UL96A. If there are any deficiencies, UL issues a Variation Notice to the installer. The system must then be reinspected. Once the UL inspector is satisfied, a Master Label Certification is issued for the structure. Not long ago the Master Label was an actual metal plate that was affixed to the structure near the electrical panel. UL changed to a paper system a few years ago. Building owners now receive a paper certificate that is good for five years. After five years, the system needs to be reinspected if the owner wants the label to stay in force.

More info on this program is available on the UL website: www.ul.com/lightning

To respond specifically to the question – the UL listed installer must apply for the Master Label and a UL representative must inspect the system in order for the Label to be issued. This is a pretty run of the mill activity for a reputable lightning protection firm. I have heard stories about unscrupulous lightning protection companies that try to pass the Master Label application off as the label to save themselves from having to go through the inspection, though.

Jennifer Morgan
East Coast Lightning Equipment, www.ecle.biz

 

 
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Comments

  • That is NOT true. You do NOT have to be a UL licensed lightning protection installer. It will cost a lot more, to have the UL Inspector come out and inspect the system for a certificate.

    Not being licensed by the UL, or NOT being on their website listing, it would've cost 4,000 plus expenses for an inspector to come out.

    Going through the process of becoming UL "listed" would have cost close to 3,000.00 to join, then 500.00 plus expenses for the inspection.

    Even once certified the inspections are priced by size, min 500.00 plus inspectors expenses.

    You do not even have to have a UL anything to design the system, you can do it yourself using the NFPA 780 Standard for the Installation of lightning protection. That little bugger is costly, I got my copy from the fire marshall of the city I was a building inspector for.

    NFPA 780 is to lighntning protection installation as what the NFPA 70 is to electrical installations.

    There are parts suppliers out there that are UL listed for material and they will design the system acccording to the NFPA 780 and include the design when and if you buy the material from them. They only need roof sketches and footage.

    UL is only certifing what criteria the NFPA 780 has set up.

    Jean
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