British Standard (BS) is the generic term given to high integrity batteries that meet strict safety, performance, and durability criteria.
It took several years following the introduction of Valve Regulated Lead-Acid (VRLA) batteries in the early 1980s for the industry to implement specific safety standards.
Now premium UPS batteries used for mission-critical installations such as hospitals and telecommunications applications are evaluated against BS 6290-4, the standard for lead-acid stationary cells and batteries.
Batteries that fully comply with the BS 6290-4 standard must offer a design life of 10-12 years, threaded copper insert terminals, and a flame retardant case. They tend to cost slightly more than standard sealed lead-acid batteries.
As well as the BS classification, there are International Standards too. For example, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Standards aim to provide an agreement for technical matters on a multinational basis.
IEC 60896 adopted much of BS6290-4, with the voluntary accreditation open to all VRLA batteries that meet its qualifying criteria.