I agree with Rich Nute. The safety principles can be defined in generic engineering terms, and only the test or performance values need to be specified.
Gravity has not changed, so tipability and the center of gravity is still the same. How much force do you use to tip it over. While there is general consensus, it usually winds up the same. So it is with dielectric strength, double insulation, isolation and so forth. The flammability of plastics will not change from product to product. What we are looking at is something like the strength of materials. We all know the material parameters, but all we have to do is: agree what level of strength we need for safety. Once that has been determined, you have one standard. I believe that we can shed the three tier concept. Two maybe. I was the International Chair for IEC 335 TC for IEC 380. We tried the one tier for general principles, then part 2 for Office Products. Then we put them together, and we shed another tier. I know that washing machine wringers pose a threat to some appendages of the human body, but is this different from printing presses with similar rollers. I think not. I believe our egos get in the way of trying for universal safety and think of safety of IT, Phones, Test Eqmt, and the like. I vote for one standard. One technology. One world. Amen. Manning Rose, NCR Corporation, Dayton, Ohio [email protected] or [email protected]
