Underwriters Labs to lay off 32 in Melville

Underwriters Laboratories Inc., an Illinois-based company that inspects and certifies electronic products for safety, is eliminating 32 jobs at its large Melville facility in the coming weeks.

Affected employees have been offered severance packages, and a company representative said UL is trying to transfer some of the workers to other positions within the company. The people impacted are engineers and technicians involved in electromagnetic compatibility testing and engineers involved with information technology products, the representative said.

The Long Island facility, which has about 440 employees total, conducts electrical testing on a wide range of products from consumer goods to industrial products. Services include safety certification and performance testing.

The layoffs come as a result of the company's move to restructure its consumer technology business.

Founded in 1894, UL conducts tests and inspections on consumer goods such as lamps and hairdryers as well as industrial products.