Electrical equipment: a single standard for optimal safety

Audio amplifiers, electronic music devices, televisions, PCs, routers, servers, printers, cell phones, Bluetooth speakers, connected devices... Whether they are professionals or individuals, billions of consumers are unaware of the dangers that can arise from the improper use or failure of these devices they use every day. Overheating battery chargers causing fires, unstable plasma screens, excessive sound levels, electrocution... There are countless domestic accidents. For example, every year in France, 1,200 children are taken to the emergency room after ingesting lithium button batteries found in this type of electronic device.

NF EN 62368-1: guidelines for preventing risks

Since 2014, a voluntary standard has provided guidelines to manufacturers to prevent risks. This is the NF EN 62368-1 standard Its exact wording is: "Safety of audio and video, information and communication technology equipment." As of December 20, 2020, it will become the only standard in force on this subject in Europe, replacing standards EN 60950-1, relating to information processing equipment, and EN 60065, relating to audio and video equipment.

This regulatory sleight of hand would be minor if we ignored the following fact: applying the new standard opens the door to obtaining CE marking... and therefore to the possibility for the manufacturer to distribute its product on the European market. Indeed, applying the standard NF EN 62368-1 presumes compliance with three European directives that are authoritative in this area: 2001/95 (general product safety) , 2014/35 (low-voltage electrical equipment) , 2014/53 (radio equipment) Until now, standards EN 60950-1 and EN 60065 also allowed this, but with a single standard now in place, the process has been simplified.

By including equipment covered by the two former IEC standards within its scope, the NF EN 62368-1 standard Two birds with one stone. The innovation lies in a new product testing protocol, designed to protect against risks associated with use and defects: risks of electric shock, electrical fire, chemical, mechanical, thermal, and radiation hazards.

NF EN 62368-1: a standard ahead of its time

The standard also establishes a new classification of energy levels to which a user may be exposed, according to the degree of danger. Class 1 energy is "non-hazardous but detectable," class 2 is "likely to cause pain," and class 3 "may cause injury."   The aim was also to produce a stable standard, independent of the innovations that are constantly emerging in this field, a document that does not need to be updated every time a new technology is launched on the market. , emphasizes Bertrand Callens, from the Emitech group and chairman of the standardization committee. AFNOR UF 108 , which brings together the professionals who co-authored the standard.

The number of manufacturers and the volume of products affected by this standard are considerable. It therefore took no less than six years to encourage manufacturers to modify their processes and testing protocols. Those who applied the standard as soon as it was published in 2014 are now ready!