What is BS EN IEC 62368-1:2024+A11:2024 - Safety of electronic equipment about?
This amendment modifies BS EN IEC 62368-1:2024 and addresses the European Commission's requirements for listing in the Official Journal and compliance with the Low Voltage and Radio Equipment Directives.
This is the first in a multi-part series of international electrical product safety standards. Covering AV and ICT equipment, and taking the new hazard-based approach, BS EN IEC 62368-1:2024+A11:2024 identifies sources of harm and prescribes safeguards to protect ordinary, instructed and skilled persons.
Who is BS EN IEC 62368-1:2024+A11:2024 - Safety of electronic equipment for?
- audio/video device manufacturing industries
- electrical or electronic engineers who perform testing of audio/video technology
- companies that work on the development of information and communication technology (ICT) equipment
- manufacturers, designers and installers of AV and ICT products
- suppliers and dealers of electronic equipment and components.
What does BS EN IEC 62368-1:2024+A11:2024 - Safety of electronic equipment cover?
BS EN IEC 62368-1:2024+A11:2024 is a product safety standard that provides guidelines for the safety of electrical and electronic equipment within the field of audio, video, information, and communication technology.
It classifies energy sources, prescribes safeguards against those energy sources, and provides guidance on the application of, and requirements for, those safeguards, and covers:
- computing and networking products such as PCs, routers, laptops, tablets, servers and power supplies
- consumer electronics such as home theatre systems, digital cameras and personal music players
- display units like monitors, TVs and digital projectors
- telecommunication products such as network infrastructure equipment, cordless and mobile phones, and other similar communication devices battery powered or not
- office appliances
- various types of AV ICT technologies used within homes, schools and businesses.
Why should you use BS EN IEC 62368-1:2024+A11:2024 - Safety of electronic equipment?
- Current. BS EN IEC 62368-1:2024+A11:2024 is the latest electronic products safety standard reflecting current technology, practice and thinking.
- Safe. It gives guidance on the application of and requirements for safeguards that are intended to reduce the likelihood of pain, injury and property damage, thereby increasing overall safety and effectively managing risk.
- Hazard-based. For the first time, this revision to BS EN IEC 62368-1:2024+A11:2024 is hazard-based. This means it starts with discovering and defining hazards and then looks at how to safeguard against each hazard, depending on the electrical skill level of the person who might be exposed to the hazard. This approach lends itself to effective risk analysis which in turn is useful to manufacturers who are required to demonstrate that products have been designed to be safe in the light of the consideration of known hazards.
- Comprehensive. BS EN IEC 62368-1:2024+A11:2024 spans a broad range of electronic, IT and communications technology products in a single document.
- Flexible. It describes safeguards for the protection of three kinds of persons: ordinary users, instructed persons and skilled persons – thereby being more pragmatic and flexible about what constitutes an acceptable safeguard in different circumstances.
- Compliant. International legislation is such that conformity to BS EN IEC 62368-1:2024+A11:2024 is very nearly mandatory for access to any market for goods within the scope of the standard. This applies in most countries, not only the UK and Europe.
- Efficient. BS EN IEC 62368-1:2024+A11:2024 helps users to instil product safety in an efficient way.
- Trusted. The use of BS EN IEC 62368-1:2024+A11:2024 can give customers abundant confidence in the safety of electronic products.
What’s new about BS EN IEC 62368-1:2024+A11:2024?
This fourth edition cancels and replaces the third edition published in 2018 and constitutes a technical revision. It includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous edition:
- addition of requirements for flammable refrigerants
- new table with requirements for external circuits
- revision of requirements for openings in fire enclosures
- revision of requirements for liquid filled components
- revision of battery charging requirements
This new standard applies to components and subsystems where relevant, and both internal and external units to the equipment. Power supplies linked to the product covered are also included.
