Product Safety Consulting

What Product Safety Consulting does

Product Safety Consulting, Inc. (PSC) is a privately held product safety and regulatory compliance consulting firm founded in 1988 by John Allen and headquartered in Bensenville, Illinois. The company serves product developers and manufacturers across more than 35 countries, helping them obtain safety certifications for global market access. PSC has accumulated over 3,000 product safety approvals across its 37-year operating history and reports that approximately 70% of its clients are repeat customers engaged in ongoing product development work. Its named enterprise customers span automotive/electric vehicles (Tesla, Mitsubishi), healthcare (Thermo Fisher, Patterson Companies, McKesson), consumer products (Colgate-Palmolive, Bissell, S.C. Johnson), IT hardware (HP, Dell), industrial equipment (GEA, Johnson Controls), and electronics (Konica Minolta, Molex).

PSC's core technical offering rests on two proprietary, trademarked methodologies: DFSA™ (Designing for Safety Approvals), which embeds safety requirements into product design from inception to prevent first-submission certification failures, and SBS™ (Safety Beyond Standards), a philosophy that exceeds minimum safety requirements and provides remediation paths rather than pass/fail determinations. The company operates an on-site full-service laboratory supporting electrical testing (up to 5Kvac/6Kvdc), mechanical testing (ball impact, drop, strain relief, cord flexing), and environmental testing across -73 to 170°C with humidity 0–95% Rh. In November 2025, PSC received ANAB accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025:2017, enabling its test data to be accepted globally under ILAC mutual recognition. The firm maintains long-standing working relationships with all major North American NRTLs (UL, Intertek, CSA, MET Labs, QPS, SGS) and is enrolled in Nemko's Data Acceptance Program, compressing certification timelines to 1–3 weeks.

PSC operates a professional services, sales-led go-to-market model with quote-based pricing and multi-year contracts. It delivers services across 18 distinct product categories — including medical devices, IT equipment, luminaires, household and commercial appliances, machinery, transportation/EV, energy/solar, and hazardous locations — with horizontal segmentation across OEMs and manufacturers. Its revenue streams derive from upfront consulting and design-review engagements, in-house and on-site laboratory testing, and post-installation field evaluations, with the latter scaled across 18+ US metro markets. The company remains founder-controlled with no documented external investment, no subsidiaries, and no disclosed acquisitions or recapitalizations.

Name

Product Safety Consulting

Legal name

Product Safety Consulting, Inc.

Website

https://productsafetyinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Product Safety Consulting is a privately held, founder-led engineering firm that provides product safety testing, certification consulting, and field evaluation services to manufacturers and product developers across more than 35 countries. Its core offer combines proprietary DFSA and SBS methodologies with on-site laboratory testing and NRTL certification management for OEMs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Product Safety Testing & Certification Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (541380), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Product, Safety & Quality Compliance (incl. Regulatory Affairs) (BPAHAFAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Testing, Inspection, Certification & Commissioning (TICx) Technical Services (BPAHAIAL), Inspection Readiness & Regulatory Authority Support (FDA/EMA/MHRA) (HLAGAKAF)

Keywords

• Product safety testing
• Regulatory compliance consulting
• Product certification services
• Safety engineering consulting
• Laboratory testing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bensenville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Product Safety Consulting Services: Consulting services providing expert advice on product safety and regulatory compliance throughout the product development lifecycle. Services include design reviews, construction evaluations, standard identification, and submittal management.
2. Laboratory Testing Services: Comprehensive testing services conducted in their state-of-the-art laboratory or on-site. Includes electrical testing, mechanical testing, environmental testing, and custom testing programs tailored to specific needs.
3. Field Evaluations: On-site evaluation and testing services for products already installed in the field, providing certification for specific installations rather than entire production runs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Product Safety Consulting provides expert product safety consulting and laboratory testing services that help manufacturers and product developers achieve regulatory compliance and certifications for global market entry. Services include design-stage safety integration (DFSA methodology), in-house and on-site electrical, mechanical, and environmental testing, NRTL and CE certification support, and field evaluations of installed equipment. The firm serves manufacturers across medical, IT, lighting, energy, machinery, automotive, hazardous-location, and emerging-technology product categories.

Product overview

Product Safety Consulting operates as a testing and consulting services firm offering a unified portfolio centered on product safety certification and compliance. The core offering combines expert consultation services with DFSA™ (Designing for Safety Approvals), their proprietary early-involvement methodology, and SBS™ (Safety Beyond Standards), their philosophy of exceeding minimum requirements. Testing services span 18 distinct product categories including Medical Devices, Medical & Lab Equipment, IT Equipment, Luminaires, Wearables/AI/Drone Tech, Household & Commercial Appliances, Commercial Cooking, Machinery, Transportation/Electric Vehicles, Energy/Solar, and Hazardous Locations. Certification services include NRTL Certifications for North American market access, CE Certifications for European Economic Area compliance, and Field Evaluations for products already installed in the field. The company operates their own on-site full-service laboratory and has achieved ANAB/ILAC accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025:2017, enabling them to provide globally accepted safety test data.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Product Safety Consulting Services Expert consultation services helping manufacturers and product developers achieve product safety and regulatory compliance, including design reviews, construction evaluations, standard identification, submittal management, and end-to-end guidance through the certification process for global market entry.
• NRTL Certifications Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory certification services for the North American market, enabling products to meet U.S. safety standards through partnerships with major NRTLs.
• CE Certifications CE marking certification services for products sold within the European Economic Area, ensuring conformity with health, safety, and environmental protection standards.
• Field Evaluations On-site evaluation and testing services for products without standard certification, assessing compliance with applicable product safety standards and the National Electric Code at the point of installation.
• DFSA (Designing for Safety Approvals) Proprietary methodology in which PSC engineers are engaged from a product's inception to embed construction and testing requirements directly into the product's design and development process, ensuring successful certification on first submission.
• SBS (Safety Beyond Standards) Philosophy-driven approach that goes beyond minimum safety requirements, offering solutions to non-compliance rather than simply delivering pass/fail statements, with clear explanations of safety issues encountered during testing.
• Medical Device Testing Safety and efficacy testing for medical devices according to FDA 510K recognized standards and UL/IEC 60601 requirements, supporting medical device manufacturers through certification.
• Medical and Lab Equipment Testing Certification testing for laboratory equipment to FDA 510K recognized standards and UL/IEC 61010 for safety and accuracy.
• Information Technology Testing Specialized testing for IT equipment and audio/visual, information and communication technology equipment according to UL/IEC 62368 standards.
• Luminaire Testing Testing and certification services for lighting fixtures ensuring compliance with safety standards for residential, commercial, and industrial applications.
• AI, Wearables and Drone Tech Testing Safety and functionality testing for emerging technologies including wearables, AI-enabled devices, and drone technology.
• Household & Commercial Appliance Testing Certification testing for appliances ensuring reliability and safety in daily use, covering both small and major household appliances.
• Commercial Cooking Testing Safety testing services for commercial kitchen equipment ensuring reliability and safety in professional food service environments.
• Machinery Testing Testing services ensuring machines meet rigorous safety and performance standards for industrial applications.
• Transportation & Electric Vehicle Testing Safety and reliability testing services for the evolving transportation and electric vehicle industry.
• Energy and Solar Testing Certification services for energy storage systems, solar products, PV arrays, and inverters including UL 9540, IEC 62933, UL 61730, UL 1741, and IEC 62548 standards.
• Hazardous Location Testing Testing and certification for products used in hazardous environments, including explosion-proof equipment and intrinsic safety measures compliant with NEC, CEC, ATEX, and IECEx standards.
• New & Innovative Product Testing Testing and compliance services for cutting-edge and groundbreaking technologies across multiple product categories.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,000+ product safety approvals attained worldwide
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Elite Electronic Engineering, Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic collaboration in the partner spotlight program, providing complementary expertise in product safety and electronic engineering testing services.
• Global ValiditycoreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic collaboration in the partner spotlight program, offering complementary services in validation and certification support.
• Underwriters Laboratories (UL)coreTechnology or Integration30+ year working relationship with major NRTL for product safety certification. PSC collaborates closely to ensure clients avoid costly evaluation failures.
• Intertek (ETL)coreTechnology or IntegrationLong-standing relationship with NRTL providing product safety testing and certification services.
• Canadian Standards Association (CSA)coreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with Canadian NRTL for product safety certification in Canadian and North American markets.
• NemkocoreTechnology or IntegrationPSC is in Nemko's Data Acceptance Program - Nemko accepts PSC's test data, enabling certification in 1-3 weeks once compliance is achieved.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• UL Solutions: The largest U.S. NRTL and a dominant global TIC provider; UL operates its own laboratories, issues widely accepted safety marks (UL Listed), and competes directly with PSC for product safety testing, certification, and standards-based engineering advisory work.
• Intertek: Global TIC major issuing the ETL mark; offers product safety testing, CE/ATEX certification, and field labeling services that overlap directly with PSC's NRTL, CE, hazardous location, and field evaluation offerings across similar enterprise customers.
• TÜV Rheinland: Germany-headquartered global TIC leader with strong industrial machinery, medical, and hazardous-location practices; directly comparable to PSC in IEC-based testing, certification programs, and global market-access services for OEM clients.
• TÜV SÜD: Global TIC provider with deep product testing, medical device, automotive/EV, and energy storage practices; competes with PSC for the same enterprise OEMs seeking multi-region certification support.
• SGS: World's largest TIC company offering electrical product safety, EMC, and global market-access services; PSC lists SGS as an NRTL partner, underscoring direct overlap in product safety testing for consumer and industrial goods.
• CSA Group: Major North American NRTL and standards body; offers product safety testing and certification that directly competes with PSC's NRTL and hazardous-location services, particularly for Canadian and U.S. market entry.
• Bureau Veritas: Global TIC conglomerate covering electrical product safety, EMC, and industrial compliance; directly comparable to PSC in consumer goods, industrial equipment, and energy/renewables testing.
• Element Materials Testing: Global TIC provider with strong product testing, certification, and failure-analysis capabilities; competes with PSC for medical device, industrial, and consumer product safety engagements across enterprise OEMs.

Direct peers

• MET Labs: U.S.-based NRTL of similar scale to PSC offering electrical product safety testing and certification; competes head-to-head for the same North American mid-market OEMs across IT, medical, and industrial categories.
• Nemko: Nordic NRTL with global product safety and hazardous-location capabilities; both competitor (in CB Scheme and CE work) and Data Acceptance Program partner of PSC, providing a clean side-by-side comparison point.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SafetyTesting
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCVSzENmSoWeNFSBQcOYN7-A/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/Product-Safety-Consulting-Inc-97306850917
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/product-safety-consulting

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Product Safety Consulting