Master Label of a Lightning Protection System

 

Question: 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