As the weeks and months march on, IEC 62368-1 elicits more chatter. Designed to replace IEC 60950-1 2nd edition (IT equipment) and IEC 60065 7th edition (A/V equipment), the new product safety standard is not a merging of these two standards.
As new devices and applications emerge at an unprecedented rate, and technologies continue to converge, 60950-1 and 60065 have had to undergo numerous modifications, making them more complex and difficult to use. IEC 62368-1 is designed for long-term stability and relevancy, regardless of product advancements.
Nearly ten years in development, 62368-1 covers a broad range of products, and allows for the minimalizing of national or regional differences. Technology-neutral and performance – not prescriptive – based, the new standard is expected to help engineers integrate safety compliance early in the product design cycle and help manufacturers speed time to market.
IEC 62368-1 Ed 1.0: Audio/Video, Information and Communication Technology Equipment — Safety Requirements is based on the principles of Hazard-Based Safety Engineering (HBSE). Like the major risk-based change with IEC 60601-1 for electro-medical equipment, HBSE represents a paradigm shift for audio-visual, communication, and information technology products.
HBSE is a process that utilizes a three-block model to address the transfer of hazardous energy to a body part. It describes methods to mitigate hazards and measure safeguard effectiveness.
IEC 62368-1 also has some new requirements to enhance product safety, including:
- Methods for classifying energy sources
- Definitions for ordinary persons, instructed persons, and skilled persons
- Child accessibility test probe
Edition 1.0 of IEC 62368-1 was published as an international standard on January 10, 2010, with a minimum five year effective date recommended by IEC Technical Committee (TC) 108. The second edition is planned to be published in 2013. Final implementation of IEC 62368-1 second edition is likely sometime between 2015 and 2018. There will be a transition period where 60950-x, 60065, and 62368 will all need to be maintained.
See other product safety-related blog posts.