Matthias and the group. You wrote, in part: <Internationally, UL is much less recognized (not in an accreditation sense but by consumer brand name recognition), >
This was enough to stir this sluggish finger tip into pushing a few keys. I've been noting all the comments on all the Marks around with interest. But it seems to me that we are not comparing like for like, that all marks perform quite different functions. I have a simplistic and perhaps cynical brain, but I get the impression that these marks exist because it's to someones advantage that they do. In the case of UL, it's because components that have been tested have been shown to be at least risk of starting a fire, or causing litigation problems due to breakdown, i.e. they minimise the risk to Insurance Companies. In the case of EN 61010, equipment is required to be safe in all that that means. i.e., if you eat it it shouldn't poison you, it shouldn't catch fire, shouldn't have nasty sharp edges, shouldn't hurt your back if you lift it, shouldn't hurt your eyes by being too bright, shouldn't electrocute you, etc. etc. But this requirement isn't primarily for safety reasons, it's directly linked to protecting trade through the Euro Low Voltage Directive. Many marks in the past, and perhaps even now, have had the suggestion that they were essentially a device to protect a particular market. This was a 'accusation' often levelled at Germany and it's DIN standards, and the Nordic SEMCO, NEMCO, DEMCO rules, amongst many others. (I very pointedly make NO judgement on these matters...) There were/are many others. I'm not entirely unconvinced that some were just invented by some groups just to justify there existence. Many 'safety' marks exist around the world, but I wonder if these are truly altruistic devices, or whether there are other commercial, political, economic reasons for their existance. Chickens will grow teeth before there is a 'World Mark' for electrical equipment, and those chickens will throw snowballs in hell before all mark issuing agencies have a common objective. Flames, please, to the agencies. Me?... I'm just a chicken with chewing gum and a sledge, waiting for the world to change. Chris Dupres Surrey, UK. --------- This message is coming from the emc-pstc discussion list. To cancel your subscription, send mail to [email protected] with the single line: "unsubscribe emc-pstc" (without the quotes). For help, send mail to [email protected], [email protected], or [email protected] (the list administrators).
