Funnily enough, in the UK we do not have an equivalent body to your UL. Furniture upholstery has to have a fire-resistance rating. We just go by best agreed practice in whatever field we are working in, and there will be several BS published papers to cover the disciplines involved, from aviation to zoology. If not, probably CEN and CEE and ISO will have stuck their noses in by now. Are the UL the bods who insist on the manufacturer adding thick and clumsy fire-proof 15-Amp 3-core mains cords to a 20W AC consumption cassette deck fitted with a line fuse just to get an "approved" rating? Must have shares in copper mines! One of the best standard electrical things in the UK - in my view - is the
1" cartridge-fused mains plug which protects the |*AC supply* from a faulty cord or apparatus, and, as a spin-off, the apparatus. This is designed to BS1363, which probably goes back 49 years and its adoption replaced unfused 2-pin and 3-pin AC plugs and wallsockets of different amperage capability. These fuses are available in different ratings according to inrush and load currents, from 1A to 13A. But I'm mildly horrified that you do not have federal authorities or governors like FCC for *every* industrial discipline.- Vote on answer
- posted
19 years ago