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Will Your Installation Meet Safety Standards? When planning your communications network, it is important to consider the requirements of various standard setting organizations. Although exact requirements may vary from country to country the common goal is to protect people, property and equipment from hazardous voltages and current as well as the possibility of other dangers such as fire. Many of the standards developed by these code authorities have been enacted into law with corresponding penalties for failure to comply. Understanding how these requirements pertain to your installation can greatly simplify your product selection process. Some of the major standards-setting organizations that deal with safety are: Underwriter's Laboratories Incorporated (UL*) (C.UL*) UL is chartered as a non-profit independent organization with a mandate to test products for public safety in the United States and Canada. It maintains and operates laboratories for the testing of devices and materials to determine their potential for being a hazard to people, property or equipment . Safety standards for telecom protection devices are covered by UL 497 All of Circa's Building Entrance Protectors and associated Plug-In units are listed with UL. Circa products certified to American safety standards bare the UL mark while products certified to Canadian safety standards bare the C-UL mark. |
Canadian Standards Association (CSA*) CSA is the main safety standards setting agency serving the Canadian public. CSA works very closely with UL, IEC, and other national and international safety agencies. Products sold into the Canadian marketplace are tested to meet CSA requirements as per CSA C22. International Electrical Commission (IEC*) The IEC based in Geneva Switzerland
is dedicated to developing and harmonizing international standards.
Both UL and CSA work closely with the IEC and have several "harmonized"
standards released or in process. |
