Electric Lighting (Last Updated 07/16/2008)
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) staff is participating in voluntary standard activities for electric lighting products. CPSC staff is currently working with an Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) Standards Technical Panel (STP) to develop revisions for UL 153, Portable Electric Luminaires; UL 1598, Luminaires; and UL 496, Lampholders, to address potential fire or shock hazards associated with lighting products.
There was an annual average estimated 3,800 residential structure fires associated with all lighting products during the time period of 2002 to 2004. These fires resulted in an average estimated 10 deaths, 120 injuries, and $75.4 million in property loss annually. For the same time period, there was an annual average 10 electrocutions associated with lighting products.
CPSC staff initiated an evaluation of electric lighting product incidents to identify potential hazard scenarios and product features that may contribute to fire or potential fire incidents, as well as electric shock incidents. The information from the CPSC staff’s evaluation may be used to develop recommendations to the relevant voluntary standards.
Additional Information
Incident Data
Hazards Related to Electric Lighting Products (pdf), March 8, 2005
CPSC Staff Reports, Memoranda and Contracts
- Evaluation of Electric Lighting Products (pdf), December 2007
Contact Underwriters Laboratories Inc.
For further information, please contact Diana Pappas Jordan at Diana.pappas.jordan@us.ul.com
Contact CPSC
For additional information or to comment, please contact cpsc-os@cpsc.gov
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