DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD  
  DUS 762 
Second Edition  
2017 -mm-dd 
 
 
 Reference number  
DUS 762: 2017 
© UNBS 2017   
  
Illuminating candles  — specification  
 DUS 762: 2017  
ii © UNBS 2017  – All rights reserved  
 Compliance with this standard does not, of itself confer immunity from legal obligations  
A Uganda Standard does not purport to include all necessary provisions of a contract. Users are 
responsible for its correct app lication  
© UNBS 2017   
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilised in any 
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permission f rom UNBS.  
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The Executive Director  
Uganda National Bureau of Standards  
P.O. Box 6329  
Kampala  
Uganda  
Tel: +256 41 4 333 2 50/1/2/3  
Fax: +256 41 4 286 123  
E-mail: info@unbs.go.ug  
Web: www.unbs.go.ug  DUS 762:2017  
© UNBS 2017  – All rights reserved  iii 
 Foreword  
Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) is a parastatal under the Ministry of Trade , Industry and 
Cooperatives established under Cap 327 , of the Laws of Uganda , as amended .  UNBS is mandated to c o-
ordinate the elaboration of standards and is  
(a) a member of International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and  
(b) a contact point for the WHO/FAO Codex Alimentarius Commission on Food Standards, and  
(c) the National Enquiry Point on TBT  Agreement  of the W orld Trade Organisation (WTO).  
The work of preparing Uganda Standards is carried out through Technical Committees. A Technical 
Committee is established to deliberate on standards in a given field or area and consists of key stakeholders 
including governmen t, academia, consumer groups, private sector and other interested parties.  
Draft Uganda Standards adopted by the Technical Committee are widely circulated to stakeholders and the 
general public for comments. The committee reviews the comments before recom mending the draft standards 
for approval and declaration as Uganda Standards by the National Standards Council.  
The committee responsible for this document is Technical Committee UNBS /TC 5, Chemicals and 
Environment.  
 DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD  DUS 762: 2017  
 
© UNBS 2017  – All rights reserved  1 
 Illuminating candles — Specification  
1 Scope   
This Working draft Uganda standard specifies requirements, test and sampling methods for candles suitable 
for illuminating purposes. This working draft Uganda standard does not cover decorative (ornamental) 
candles.  
2 Normative references   
The foll owing referenced documents referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content 
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated 
references, the latest edition of the referenced  document (including any amendments) applies.  
US ISO 7010 — Graphical symbols safety colours and safety signs — Registered safety  
3 Terms and definitions   
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply. ISO and IEC maintain 
terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses: — ISO Online browsing 
platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp  
3.1  
burning time  
time it takes for a candle to burn down completely  
3.2  
unit  
candles from the same ma nufacturer, packed in accordance with the Weights and Measures Act.  
3.3 
defective  
candle that fails in one or more respects to comply with the relevant requirements of this standard  
4 Requirements  
4.1 General  
The candles shall be clean, with a uniform fini sh and may be white or coloured  (see Annex A).  The wick shall 
be of a good quality braided or twisted cotton yarn.  
4.3 Wick length  
The wick shall be properly centred and shall extend the entire length of the candle. It shall not be visible 
except for mini mum 5.0 mm of the wick that shall protrude beyond the tip of the candle.  DUS 762: 2017  
2 © UNBS 2017  – All rights reserved  
 4.4 Dimensions  
The length of a candle, when measured in accordance with Annex B , shall be not less than 220 mm.  The 
candle shall be made in the following diameter  sizes: 
a) 14 mm ± 1 mm  
b) 19 mm ± 1 mm  
4.5 burning time  
When tested in accordance with Annex C , the candles ; the candles shall have an average burning time as 
shown below  
Diameter size    burning time (h)  
19 mm ± 1 mm    at least 4 h  
14 mm ± 1 mm    at least 2.5 h  
4.6 Burning quality and wax drip  
When tested in accordance with annex C , each candle shall burn uniformly with an even flame. The flame 
shall consume the candle and wick, without excessive smoking or the necessity of trimming the wick, and with 
an average wax drip of not more  than a mass fraction of 5 %.  
4.7 Mass  
Each individual candle shall have a minimum weight of 30 g  and 20 g for diameters 19 mm ± 1 mm and 14  
mm ± 1 mm respectively.  
4.8 Resistance to deformation  
When tested in accordance with annex D , the candles shall b e easily separated and shall not become 
deformed.  
4.9 Finish  
The candle shall be clean, free from dirt and foreign matter, uniform, free from fracture (breaks) and 
distortions (warps, sags, runs, two or more fused together) and free from trapped air bubbl es. It shall be 
straight, cylindrical with a properly finished shoulder and complete flat base without recess.  
The finished product shall be free from unpleasant odour (pungent and unsavoury) during burning and non -
burning. The flame shall be non -smoking and non -sputtering.  
5 Sampling   
Samples shall be taken randomly from the factory, market or elsewhere and tested for compliance with the 
requirements of the standard  in accordance with annex E.  
6 Packing and labelling   
6.1 Packing  
The candles shall be pac ked in a unit wrapped in suitable material that will have no detrimental effect on the 
quality of the product during normal transportation and storage. The units shall be packed in a box that DUS 762: 2017  
© UNBS 2017  – All rights reserved  3 
 prevents contamination of the product so marked as to state the number of units  contained in that box and 
strong enough to withstand normal handling and transportation.  
6.2 Labelling   
6.2.1  Each unit and each box shall bear the following information in prominent, legible and indelible 
marking:  
a) both the manufacturer's name and brand name;  
b) number of candles;  
c) country of origin; and  
d) any cautionary directions, that is,‘Candles should not be placed dir ectly on combustible materials.  
e) diameter of the candle  
6.2.2  Each package shall be marked with appropriate safety symbols as specified in US ISO 7010.  DUS 762: 2017  
4 © UNBS 2017  – All rights reserved  
 Annex  A 
(informative)  
 
Notes to purchasers  
The following requirement shall be specified in tender invitations and in each order or contract, whether the 
candles for illuminating purposes are to be white or coloured, and if colo ured, the required colour designation 
(see 4.1)  DUS 762: 2017  
© UNBS 2017  – All rights reserved  5 
 Annex  B 
(normative)  
 
Candle dimensions  
Measure to the nearest millimetre (from the base to the shoulder), the length of a candle from the sample (see 
5). Repeat with another two candles, calculate the average  of the three readings and check for compliance 
with 4.4.  DUS 762: 2017  
6 © UNBS 2017  – All rights reserved  
 Annex  C 
(normative)  
 
Burning time and wax drip  
C.1 procedure  
C.1.1 Take four candles from the test sample selected in accordance with B.1.4 and store them in a cool 
place for at least 24 h before ev aluation.  
C.1.2 Wipe the candles with a soft cloth to remove any loose wax particles. Ensure that 5.0 mm ± 2.5 mm of 
the wick is exposed at the tip of the candle, but take care that no contact is made between the wick and the 
bare hands to prevent contamin ation of the wick.  
C.1.3 Determine the mass of each candle and calculate the average mass of the four candles.  
C.1.4 Determine the mass of each of four clean flat metal plates.  
C.1.5 Position each plate at least 150 mm away from any wall, edge of table or other plates, in a draught -
free room at a temperature of 22 °C ± 2.5 °C.  
C.1.6 Light each candle and without delay, position the lit candle in the centre of plate by means of a small 
amount of molten wax produced by the candle, in such a manner that the wi ck is completely vertical.  
C.1.7 Record the burning time of each candle.  
C.1.8 Calculate the average burning time of the four candles and check for compliance with 4.5. 
C.1.9 Determine the mass of each of the four plates with the wax that dripped during th e burning test.  
C.1.10 Calculate the wax dripped for each candle by subtracting the mass of each of the four clean plates 
determined in 4.3.4, from the mass of each of the four plates with the dripped wax, determined in C.1.9. Then 
calculate the average ma ss of wax dripped for the four candles.  
C.2 Calculation  
Wax drip, % =
10021MM  
Where ; 
M1 the average mass, in grams, of wax dripped, and  
M2  the average mass, in grams, of a candle.  
Check for compliance with 4.5 
C.3 Burning quality  
Record the burning qualities of the candles (see C.1 and C.2) and check for compliance with 4.5.  DUS 762: 2017  
© UNBS 2017  – All rights reserved  7 
 Annex  D 
(normative)  
 
Resistance to deformation  
D.1 Apparatus  
D.1.1  Oven or conditioner, capable of maintaining a temperature of 38 °C± 1 °C  
D.1.2 Box, wide enough for  six candles to fit in tightly, in a horizontal position  
D.1.3 Aluminium plate, flat, of a size that will fit into the box for the full length and width of 
the box  
D.1.4 Mass pieces  
D.2 Procedure  
D.2.1  Place six candles in two layers in a horizontal positi on in the box.  
D.2.2 Place the aluminium plate on top of the candles. Place the mass pieces on the aluminium plate so 
that the combined mass of mass pieces and plate exerts a load of 1.8 kg ± 0.2 kg to the candles under test.  
D.2.3 Allow this assembly to stand in the oven or conditioner for 24 h at 38 °C ± 1 °C.  
D.2.4 Remove the mass pieces and aluminium plate and check the candles for compliance with 4.8 DUS 762: 2017  
8 © UNBS 2017  – All rights reserved  
 Annex E 
(normative)  
 
Sampling and compliance with this standard  
E.1 Sampling  
E.1.1 General  
The procedu re below shall be applied in determining whether candles comply with the relevant requirements 
of this standard.  
E.1.2 Sample for inspection  
Inspect the boxes of units for compliance with the relevant requirements of 6.1 and 6.2, and then select at 
random 15 sample units from different boxes.  
E.1.3 Sample for testing  
From the sample units taken in accordance with E.1.2, select 12 candles to provide a composite sample.  
E.2 Compliance with the standard  
Candles shall be deemed to comply with the requirements o f this standard if, after inspection of the relevant 
units and relevant boxes and testing of the samples taken in accordance with E.1.3, no defective is found.  DUS 762: 2017  
© UNBS 2017  – All rights reserved  9 
 Annex  F 
(informative)  
 
Quality verification of  candles for illuminating purposes  
When a purchaser requires ongoing verification of the quality of candles for illuminating purposes, it is 
suggested that, instead of concentrating solely on evaluation of the final product, he also direct his attention to  
the manufacturer's quality system. In this connection it should be noted that ISO 9001 covers the provision of 
an integrated quality system.  DUS 762: 2017  
10 © UNBS 2017  – All rights reserved  
 Bibliography  
[1] KS 1265  — Paraffin wax based candles — Specification  
[2] EN 15494 — Product Safety Labels  
[3] IS 11359 (1985): Wax Candles, Oil  Burning Appliances  
[4] ISO 9001, Quality management systems — Requirements  
[5] SANS 1896, Candle illuminating  
 DUS 762: 2017  
© UNBS 2017  – All rights reserved  11 
 Certification marking  
Products that conform to Uganda standards may be marked with Uganda National Bureau of Sta ndards 
(UNBS) Certification Mark shown in the figure below.  
The use of the UNBS Certification Mark is governed by the Standards Act, and the Regulations made 
thereunder. This mark can be used only by those licensed under the certification mark scheme oper ated by 
the Uganda National Bureau of Standards and in conjunction with the relevant Uganda Standard. The 
presence of this mark on a product or in relation to a product is an assurance that the goods comply with the 
requirements of that standard under a sy stem of supervision, control and testing in accordance with the 
certification mark scheme of the Uganda National Bureau of Standards. UNBS marked products are 
continually checked by UNBS for conformity to that standard.  
Further particulars of the terms an d conditions of licensing may be obtained from the Director, Uganda 
National Bureau of Standards.  
 
 DUS 762: 2017    
 
ICS 75.140.00  
Price based on nn pages  
© UNBS 2017 – All rights reserved