Standards Corner - Appliance Advisor Issue 1 2020

By: Joe Musso, Standards Program Manager

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STP 325 – Door, Drapery, Gate, Louver, and Window Operators and Systems – Five new proposal topics were circulated for Standards Technical Panel (STP) ballot during the fourth quarter of 2019. In addition to a clarification of section 34, proposals include an alternate leakage current measurement method, additional warning placards for horizontally moving commercial door operators, tubular drive marking locations, and a revision to clause 60.8.4 b) regarding pedestrian access. All five proposals reached consensus with only a few comments needing clarification.

STP 499 – Electric Heating Appliances – A proposal covering battery-operated heating appliances was circulated for STP ballot, closing during the third quarter of 2019. The proposal reached consensus but several comments are still under consideration.

STP 507 – Electric Fans – The task group formed to continue work on a proposal submitted from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to include a new thermal condition performance test for unattended fans, continues to make progress. CPSC is leading the task group (TG), which completed the development of a proposal for consideration by the STP and public. The proposal was circulated for ballot January 2020, with a closing date of Feb. 27, 2020. The proposal was discussed at the February 25, 2020, STP 507 Meeting in Clearwater, Florida.

STP 745 – Electric Tools – UL 62841-3-1000, the Standard for Electric Motor-Operated Hand Held Tools, Transportable Tools and Lawn and Garden Machinery – Safety – Part 4-2 Particular Requirements for Transportable Laser Engravers, was published Dec. 31, 2019.

Work is also underway on the Part 1 standards, UL 60745-1, the Standard for Hand-Held Motor-Operated Electric Tools – Safety – Part 1: General Requirements, (requirements to address electronically commutated motor (ECM), and UL 62841-1, the Safety for Electic Motor-Operated Hand-Held Tools, Transportable Tools and Lawn and Garden Machinery – Safety – Part 1: General Requirments, (ECM, various connector requirements, markings/instructions). 

STP 1017 – Vacuum Cleaners, Blower Cleaners, and Household Floor Finishing Machines – A call for proposals was circulated in January 2020, with input due Feb. 21, 2020, leading up to a binational working group meeting scheduled for March 2020.

A survey was also circulated in January to gauge the industry’s level of support (and to request volunteers to participate) in a new effort to adopt and harmonize with IEC 60335-2-2. The survey results indicated solid support for this new effort, with a number of volunteers willing to participate.

STP 1026 – Electric Household Cooking Appliances – A new proposal, covering touch controls, was circulated for STP ballot during the fourth quarter of 2019. The proposal reached consensus but with several comments under consideration.

STP 2157 – Electric Clothes Washing Machines, Extractors, and Dryers – The technical harmonization committee (THC) has not yet initiated the next standards cycle for UL 2157, the Standard for Electric Clothes Washing Machines and Extractors. STP preliminary review for the proposed new sixth) edition of UL 2158, the Standard for Electric Clothes Dryers, closed for comment Nov. 15, 2019. The THC is working on reviewing the comments and preparing the proposals for STP ballot.

STP 60335-2-24 – Household and Similar Electrical Appliances – Safety – Part 2-24: Particular Requirements for Refrigerating Appliances, Ice-Cream Appliances, and Ice Makers – A number of proposals were circulated for ballot during Q4 2019. The proposals reached consensus with no comments and are moving to publication in February 2020.