2.0 Cable Ratings

     (Or What Are Those Codes Printed On My Cables?)
     In the Hollywood movie _Towering Infernio_ (starring O.J.Simpson)
     a fire spread from floor to floor using the building cables.  This
     will not happen again (we hope) since everyone is using fire rated
     cables!  These are important specifications if you are responsible
     for defining a cable installation.

     If interfloor penetrations are properly _firestopped_, the
     cables can burn, but the fire will not pass the firestopping.

     UL-910, FT-4 and FT-6 say nothing about the type or volume of toxic
     combustion products produced. All they cover is performance on a
     flamespread test.

  THIS DOCUMENT IS A GUIDELINE ONLY -- SEEK PROFESSIONAL
  ADVICE, CHECK LOCAL BUILDING CODES AND APPLICABLE STANDARDS.

     The US National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) revises the 
     National Electrical Code (NEC) every 3 years.  The NEC defines 
     classifications of cable as per UL tests.

     The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) defines Premise Communication
     Cord (PCC) standards for physical wire tests.  These are printed
     on the cable as CSA-PCC-FT6.

     FT4 = Flame Test 4 is described in CSA C22.2 0.3-1992
     FT6 = Flame Test 6 is described in NFPA 262-1985 and ULC S102.4
     Physical Wire Tests C22.2 214-M-1990.  These CSA documents can
     be ordered from the CSA.  See sources below.

     <<<Any comments on standards from other parts of the world?>>>