scope:

This non-mandatory IEC Guide complements ISO/IEC Guide 51 and establishes guidelines useful for achieving SAFETY in low voltage (LV) equipment. These guidelines include RISK ASSESSMENT, in which the knowledge and experience of the design, use, incidents, accidents and HARM related to LOW VOLTAGE EQUIPMENT are brought together in order to assess the RISKs during the relevant phases of the life of the equipment, as specified in Clause 6, and to implement the basic principles for RISK REDUCTION MEASUREs. This IEC guide should be used by technical committees as far as appropriate and to the extent they decide to apply it.

This IEC Guide gives additional guidance to ISO/IEC Guides 50, 51 and 71 on the information required to allow RISK ASSESSMENT to be performed. Procedures are described for identifying hazards, estimating and evaluating RISK (including comparison of RISKs) and RISK reduction where necessary. Harms considered in this document include possible damages to persons, property, or domestic animals. It is not intended that the structure of this guide be adopted by technical committees.

This IEC Guide also includes requirements for the equipment documentation to include adequate information for the safe use of equipment.

Object

The purpose of this IEC Guide is to provide guidance for technical committees for decisions to be made on the SAFETY of LOW VOLTAGE EQUIPMENT and the type of documentation required to verify the RISK ASSESSMENT carried out.

This IEC Guide applies to all electrical equipment designed for use with a voltage range up to 1 000 V a.c. (1 500 V d.c.). Voltage ratings refer to the voltage of the electrical input or output, not to voltages that may appear inside the equipment.

Annex A of this Guide identifies basic health and SAFETY requirements, typically for LOW VOLTAGE EQUIPMENT.

Annex D can be used as a tool for documenting a self-assessment by a Technical Committee.

Exclusion and limitation

This guide does not apply to those basic components whose RISK ASSESSMENT depends to a very large extent on how they are used and incorporated into a machine, electrical system or installation. However, other electrical components that are intended to be incorporated into other electrical equipment and for which a RISK ASSESSMENT can be undertaken are covered by this IEC Guide, in general requiring a further assessment of the SAFETY aspects related to the way in which such components are incorporated.

NOTE 1 The scope of the exclusion of basic components should not be misunderstood and extended to items like lamps, starters, fuses, switches for household use, elements of electrical installations, etc.

These components, even if they are often used in conjunction with other electrical equipment and have to be properly installed in order to deliver their useful function, are themselves to be considered electrical equipment in the sense of this Guide.

NOTE 2 RISK REDUCTION MEASUREs to be taken by the user of a product are subject to legal requirements in many countries, especially in the occupational health and SAFETY framework.

This IEC Guide itself is not intended to be used for the purpose of certification. Product committees are encouraged to include a clause in product SAFETY standards pertaining to RISK ASSESSMENT, to be used when the requirements of these standards do not fully encompass all possible hazards with equipment within the standard's scope, especially for emerging technologies, where new hazards may arise.

If the RISK ASSESSMENT identifies aspects not directly related to health and SAFETY such as environment protection, energy consumption, climate change, etc., the RISK reduction for health and SAFETY related RISKs in particular with respect to persons overrules the priority of those other aspects. However such aspects can be defined by regulations.