scope:

IEC 61496-2:2013 specifies requirements for the design, construction and testing of electro-sensitive protective equipment (ESPE) designed specifically to detect persons as part of a safety-related system, employing active opto-electronic protective devices (AOPDs) for the sensing function. Special attention is directed to features which ensure that an appropriate safety-related performance is achieved. An ESPE may include optional safety-related functions, the requirements for which are given in Annex A of IEC 61946-1:2012 and of this part. This third edition cancels and replaces the second edition published in 2006. It constitutes a technical revision and includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous edition: - Requirements have been corrected and made easier to understand. - Test procedures have been revised to make them easier to perform and to improve repeatability. - Guidance is provided for the evaluation and verification of AOPDs using design techniques for which the test procedures of this part are not sufficient.