-4-
Address all communications and shipments to:
FEDERAL SIGNAL CORPORATION
Industrial systems
service Department
2645 federal signal Drive
University Park, IL 60466-3195
G. UNDERWRITERS LABORATORIES WARNING EXPLANATION.
“Warning-Not to be used as a visual public mode alarm notification appliance”
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
Underwriters Laboratories uses two different standards to investigate and List visual signal appli-
ances. The first UL standard for safety is UL1971 - signaling Devices for the Hearing Impaired.
This standard covers visual signaling devices intended for fire alarm systems to alert the hearing
impaired. The second UL standard for safety is UL1638 - Visual signaling Appliances-Private
Mode Emergency and General Utility signaling. While this standard may also cover visual signal
appliances, it does not include the determination of adequacy relative to alerting hearing-impaired
individuals in a fire alarm system.
To prevent misapplication of a visual signal appliance Listed to UL1638, UL determined it is
the manufacturer’s responsibility to warn the installer in the field and Authority Having Jurisdic-
tion (AHJ) of what would be an inappropriate use of the product. Therefore, manufactures whose
products Listed to UL1638 are required by Underwriters Laboratories to bear the warning,
“Warning
‑ Not to be used as a visual public mode alarm notification appliance”.
“Public Operating Mode” and “Notification Appliance” as defined in the National fire Alarm Code,
NfPA 72 is as follows:
Public Operating Mode - Audible or visible signaling to occupants or inhabitants of the area pro-
tected by the fire alarm system.
Notification Appliance - A fire alarm system component such as a bell, horn, speaker, light, or text
display that provides audible, tactile, or visible outputs, or any combination thereof.
In other words, this device should not be used as a component of a commercial fire alarm system.
