Subject 2556 (44, 62, 83, and 1581) 1285 Walt Whitman Road

Melville, NY 11747-3081
November 26, 2003

TO: Standards Technical Panel for FLEXIBLE CORD AND FIXTURE WIRE - STP 62 for
comment only, no ballot
Standards Technical Panel for POWER CABLES - STP 83 for comment only, no ballot
Subscribers to UL’s Standards Services for
Flexible Cord and Fixture Wire - UL 62, 16ed
Thermoset-Insulated Wires and Cables - UL 44, 15ed
Thermoplastic-InsulatedWires and Cables - UL 83, 13ed
Reference Standard for Electrical Wires, Cables, and Flexible Cords - UL 1581,
4ed

SUBJECT: Opportunity to Comment on Anticipated Tri-National Wire and Cable Test Method
Standard

Summary of Topics:

A preliminary draft of the tri-national UL 2556 Reference Standard for Wire and Cable Test
Methods is available for review and comment.

COMMENTS DUE: January 15,2004

With UL’s participation, a CANENA Technical Harmonization SubCommittee (THSC) has drafted a First
Edition of the UL 2556 standard containing harmonized versions of a number of new and existing
ANCE, CSA, and UL test methods that are applicable to flexible cords and power wires covered by
standards currently being tri-nationally harmonized (UL 62, 44, and 83 in the US). Tests applicable only
to other wire products are not included. For some tests, both a harmonized test method in the new
standard and the existing test method in UL 1581 will temporarily remain available for reference in any
wire product standard, the choice being left to which test version is determined appropriate in the case
of each individual wire standard. Two descriptions of a test are not desirable so plans currently are
being developed to address this situation.

The current early, working draft of UL 2556 has been posted under ”harmonization information” and the
”interim drafts” option on UL’s website http://ulstandardsinfonet.ul.com. Comments on the draft should
reference ”Subject 2556“ and should be sent to UL by January 15, 2004 by addressing e-mail, a fax, or
postal mail as indicated in the table below. As this is a preliminary draft, UL does not plan to formally
respond to comments. Instead, the THSC will use the comments as guidance in preparing the draft that
UL expects to propose as the First Edition of UL 2556, with STP balloting for designation as an
American National Standard. The THSC plans to revise UL 2556 a number of times in the future

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Copyright Underwriters Laboratories Inc. Document provided by IHS Licensee=BP Amoco/5928366101, 04/18/2004 09:01:05 MDT
Provided by IHS under license with UL Questions or comments about this message: please call the Document Policy Group
at 303-397-2295.
 SUBJECT 2556 -2- NOVEMBER 26,2003

inserting an additional group of tests each time. To assist the THSC with the future additions, UL will
post their working drafts for comment. A bulletin similar to this announcement will accompany each
such posting.

Austin Wetherell
e-mail: austin.wetherelI@us.ul.com
Underwriters Laboratories Inc.
1285 Walt Whitman Road
fax: 631-439-6014
Melville NY 11747-3081

Comments by e-mail or fax should include your full name and company address to facilitate a reply
should the THSC desire to correspond.
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UNDERWRITERS LABORATORIES INC. REVIEWED BY:

WALTER H. HOFFMANN STEVEN A. GALAN

Secretary of STPs 62 and 83 Manager -Wire and Cable
Standards Engineer 1285 Walt Whitman Road
1285 Walt Whitman Road Melville NY 11747-3081
Melville NY 11747-3081 phone: INT+I 631 271 6200 EXT 22435
phone: INT+I 631-271-6200 EXT 22564 fax: INT+I 631 439 6096
fax: INT+I 631-439-6021 e-mail: steven.a.galan@us.ul.com
e-mail: walter.hoffmann@us.ul.com

Copyright O 2003 Underwriters Laboratories Inc.

SR:CA

03ST546-1581.4

Copyright Underwriters Laboratories Inc. Document provided by IHS Licensee=BP Amoco/5928366101, 04/18/2004 09:01:05 MDT
Provided by IHS under license with UL Questions or comments about this message: please call the Document Policy Group
at 303-397-2295.