What is the scope of IEC 62368-1?

Clause 1 of IEC 62368-1:2023 applies the standard to the safety of electrical and electronic equipment within the field of audio, video, information and communication technology, and business and office machines, with a rated voltage not exceeding 600 V. It also covers components and subassemblies for such equipment, external power supply units that primarily supply it, accessories, large equipment in restricted access areas, equipment for tropical regions and outdoor equipment (Annex Y). It excludes robotic equipment with non-self-contained hazardous moving parts, personal care robots, power supply systems that are not part of the equipment, and equipment for wet areas indoors. Annex A gives examples of equipment in scope. The current IEC edition is the fourth, IEC 62368-1:2023, published on 26 May 2023 (corrected version August 2025).

What is the HBSE principle behind 62368-1?

Hazard-based safety engineering starts from the energy source, not from a product category. The introduction (clause 0) uses a three-block model: an energy source, a transfer mechanism, a body part. Each energy source is classified as class 1 (not painful, but can be detectable), class 2 (painful, but not an injury) or class 3 (injury), per Table 1. A safeguard is then interposed between a class 2 or class 3 source and the body part, and the type and number of safeguards depend on the class of the source and on who can reach it: an ordinary, instructed or skilled person. The standard defines five classified families: ES (electrical), PS (power sources for fire), MS (mechanical), TS (thermal) and RS (radiation). Chemical hazards are handled in clause 7 without a class scale.

When did IEC 62368-1 replace IEC 60950-1 and IEC 60065?

Two different dates answer two different questions. In the EU, the Official Journal listing of EN 62368-1:2014 (Commission communication 2018/C 326/02) set 20 December 2020 as the date of cessation of presumption of conformity of the superseded EN 60065:2014 + A11:2017 and EN 60950-1:2006 with its amendments. At the IEC, the standards themselves stayed in the catalogue longer: the IEC web store gives a withdrawal date of 29 March 2024 for both IEC 60950-1:2005+AMD1:2009+AMD2:2013 and IEC 60065:2014. EN 60950-21, EN 60950-22 and EN 60950-23 are still cited under the LVD.

What is the difference between ordinary, instructed and skilled persons?

Clause 0.2 of IEC 62368-1:2023 defines them. An ordinary person is anyone who is neither instructed nor skilled, including people who are only in the vicinity of the equipment; ordinary persons should not be exposed to energy sources capable of causing pain under normal and abnormal operating conditions, nor to those capable of causing injury under a single fault condition. An instructed person has been instructed and trained by a skilled person, or is supervised by one, to identify class 2 energy sources and take precautions. A skilled person has training or experience in the equipment technology and is expected to recognise class 2 and class 3 sources and protect against them. A warning label alone does not turn an ordinary person into an instructed person.

What do ES1, ES2 and ES3 mean?

They are the three electrical energy source classes of clause 5.2, read against Table 1 of the introduction: ES1 is not painful but can be detectable, ES2 is painful but not an injury, ES3 can cause injury. The numerical limits for steady-state ES1 and ES2 are in Table 4 of the standard, which the August 2025 corrected version of IEC 62368-1:2023 updated. Take the values from the edition you test to, with that correction, rather than from a summary: they depend on frequency, on whether voltage or current is the criterion, and on capacitance and pulse conditions in other tables.

What are the PS1, PS2 and PS3 power source classes?

Clause 6.2.2 classifies circuits by the power they can deliver into a fault, for the purpose of electrically caused fire. The class drives the fire-spread rules: clause 6.4.4 for PS1 circuits, 6.4.5 for PS2 circuits and 6.4.6 for PS3 circuits, with fire enclosures and fire barriers in 6.4.8. IEC 62368-3 notes that PS2 circuits are generally expected to provide less than 100 W to an undefined load under normal and single fault conditions. The class is a property of each circuit, so one product usually contains several classes.

How does EN 62368-1 interact with the Low Voltage Directive?

Under Article 12 of Directive 2014/35/EU, only standards whose references are published in the Official Journal give presumption of conformity. The only reference for this standard cited under the LVD is EN 62368-1:2014 with EN 62368-1:2014/AC:2015, entry 555 of Annex I to Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2723 (consolidated version of 30 April 2026). Neither EN IEC 62368-1:2020 nor EN IEC 62368-1:2024, the adoption of the fourth edition, is cited under the LVD. EN IEC 62368-1:2020 with A11:2020 is cited only under Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety, and only for clauses 3.3.19 and 10.6 on sound exposure (Decision (EU) 2026/901). Testing to the 2024 edition is still possible: Annex III of the LVD then asks the technical documentation to describe the solutions adopted to meet the safety objectives.

Why is a medical device certified to 62368-1 not 60601-1 compliant?

The two standards have different purposes. 62368-1 covers audio video, IT and communications equipment. IEC 60601-1 covers medical electrical equipment, including applied parts in contact with the patient and the means of patient protection (MOPP) that such parts require. A 62368-1 report does not address patient leakage current or MOPP. For the medical side, see the IEC 60601-1 guide.

What are the most common pitfalls when applying 62368-1?

Five recur. Assuming the latest EN gives presumption of conformity under the LVD, when only EN 62368-1:2014 is cited. Quoting energy-class thresholds from memory instead of Table 4 of the edition in use, which was corrected in August 2025. Treating an equipment room as restricted to skilled persons without documenting how access is controlled. Forgetting that batteries bring Annex M and the normative reference to IEC 62133-2:2017 with AMD1:2021. And confusing electrical safety with EMC, which falls under Directive 2014/30/EU.

IEC 62368-1: safety of AV, IT and communications gear

Hugues Orgitello updated 7 Oct 2026 16 min read

IEC 62368-1 is the hazard-based product safety standard for audio/video, information and communication technology equipment, written by IEC technical committee TC 108. The current edition is the fourth, IEC 62368-1:2023, published on 26 May 2023 and reissued as a corrected version in August 2025 with an updated Table 4 of ES1 and ES2 limits. It took over from IEC 60950-1 and IEC 60065, but the dates are easy to mix up: the EU ended presumption of conformity for the old EN standards on 20 December 2020, while the IEC withdrew the old standards on 29 March 2024. In the EU, the only edition cited under the LVD is still EN 62368-1:2014. This page sets out what each text says, edition by edition, and the claims that do not survive a reading of the primary sources.

Editions and key dates

Every date below comes from the IEC web store records, the Official Journal or the European foreword of the EN.

Date	Event	Source
21 January 2010	IEC 62368-1:2010, edition 1.0	IEC web store history
21 June 2011	IEC TR 62368-2:2011, first explanatory report	IEC web store history
26 February 2014	IEC 62368-1:2014, edition 2.0 (corrigenda February and November 2015)	IEC web store history
8 July 2016	EN 62368-1:2014 first listed under the LVD in the Official Journal	OJ C 326, 14.9.2018
4 October 2018	IEC 62368-1:2018, edition 3.0 (corrigendum April 2020)	IEC web store history
20 December 2020	EU: cessation of presumption of conformity of EN 60065:2014 + A11:2017 and EN 60950-1:2006 with its amendments, superseded by EN 62368-1:2014	OJ C 326, 14.9.2018
26 May 2023	IEC 62368-1:2023, edition 4.0	IEC web store record
13 December 2023	Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2723 published: entry 555 is EN 62368-1:2014 + AC:2015	OJ L 2723
29 March 2024	IEC withdraws IEC 60950-1:2005+AMD1:2009+AMD2:2013 and IEC 60065:2014	IEC web store records
April 2024	EN IEC 62368-1:2024 (identical to IEC 62368-1:2023), supersedes EN IEC 62368-1:2020 + A11:2020	European foreword
15 February 2025	dop of EN IEC 62368-1:2024 (date by which national adoption is due)	European foreword
3 July 2025	IEC TR 62368-2:2025, edition 4.0, explanatory information for the 2023 edition	IEC web store record
31 July 2025	UL 62368-1, fourth edition, adoption of IEC 62368-1 (fourth edition)	UL Standards & Engagement catalogue
August 2025	Corrected version of IEC 62368-1:2023: update of Table 4, ES1 and ES2 steady-state limits	IEC preview, foreword
27 April 2026	Decision (EU) 2026/901 cites EN IEC 62368-1:2020 + A11:2020 under the GPSR, clauses 3.3.19 and 10.6 only	OJ L 2026/901
15 February 2027	dow of EN IEC 62368-1:2024: conflicting national standards (the 2020 edition) to be withdrawn	European foreword

The IEC record of the 2023 edition shows a stability date of 2026 and an item "under development", so a further amendment or edition is in the IEC pipeline. Nothing in the catalogue gives it a date yet.

What changed in the fourth edition

The foreword of IEC 62368-1:2023 lists four significant technical changes against the 2018 edition:

a new table with requirements for external circuits;
a revision of the requirements for openings in fire enclosures;
a revision of the requirements for liquid filled components;
a revision of the battery charging requirements.

The August 2025 corrected version adds one correction: the update of Table 4, the electrical energy source limits for steady-state ES1 and ES2. If your test report predates that correction, check whether any of your circuits sat close to a limit.

DC power over USB or Ethernet (PoE) is not a fourth-edition addition to Part 1. Clause 1 sends it to a separate standard, IEC 62368-3 (first edition 2017), which does not apply to proprietary connectors or proprietary power transfer protocols.

Hazard-based safety engineering (HBSE)

The introduction (clause 0) is informative, but it explains the logic that the normative clauses then apply. An energy source causes pain or injury by transferring energy to a body part; a safeguard is a device, scheme or system interposed between the two that reduces the likelihood of that transfer.

Table 1 of the standard sets the meaning of the three classes:

Class	Effect on the body	Effect on combustible materials
Class 1	Not painful, but can be detectable	Ignition not likely
Class 2	Painful, but not an injury	Ignition possible, but limited growth and spread of fire
Class 3	Injury	Ignition likely, rapid growth and spread of fire

Clause map of IEC 62368-1:2023

The body of the standard follows the energy forms of Table 2. This map is built from the table of contents of the 2023 edition.

Clause or annex	Governs	Classes
0	Principles (informative): persons, three-block model, safeguards
4	General requirements, including liquids and liquid filled components (4.1.8)
5	Electrically caused injury: classification in 5.2, ES1 and ES2 limits in 5.2.2, insulation, touch current (5.7)	ES1, ES2, ES3
6	Electrically caused fire: power source classification in 6.2.2, fire spread per class in 6.4.4 to 6.4.6, fire enclosures and barriers in 6.4.8	PS1, PS2, PS3
7	Injury caused by hazardous substances, including ozone (7.3)	none
8	Mechanically caused injury, including stability (8.6)	MS1, MS2, MS3
9	Thermal burn injury: touch temperature limits (9.3), wireless power transmitters (9.6)	TS1, TS2, TS3
10	Radiation: lasers (10.3), lamps (10.4), X-radiation (10.5), acoustic energy (10.6)	RS1, RS2, RS3
Annex B	Normal, abnormal and single fault condition tests
Annex F	Markings, instructions and instructional safeguards
Annex G	Components
Annex M	Equipment containing batteries and their protection circuits
Annex Q	Circuits intended for interconnection with building wiring
Annex S	Tests for resistance to heat and fire
Annex V	Determination of accessible parts
Annex W	Comparison of terms with IEC 60950-1 and IEC 60065 (informative)
Annex Y	Construction requirements for outdoor enclosures

Annex W is the one to open first when migrating an old 60950-1 or 60065 file: it maps the old terms to the new ones.

Why this site does not reprint standards tables

Two reasons, and only one of them is legal.

The legal one is that standards are copyrighted works sold by the bodies that write them, and reproducing their normative tables infringes that copyright. The CJEU judgment of 5 March 2024 in C-588/21 P held that harmonised standards form part of EU law and that there is an overriding public interest in their disclosure, which is why access to them is opening up. It expressly did not set aside copyright in them, so it is a right of access, not a licence to republish.

That gives three tiers, which this site applies consistently:

Source of the figure	Example	What we publish
Law	EU regulations and directives, 47 CFR, ISED RSS, the UN Manual, ACMA instruments	The figure itself. It is law, not a copyrighted standard
Harmonised EN cited in the OJ	EN 60335, EN 62368-1:2014	The clause and edition, and where to obtain it. Values restated in regulator guidance are cited to the regulator
Standard not harmonised	the IEC edition of 62368-1, ISO/TS deliverables	The clause and what it governs, never the table

The second reason matters more in practice. A single extracted number is usually the wrong answer to the question being asked. The ES limits turn on frequency, on whether voltage or current is the criterion, and on capacitance and pulse duration; a touch-temperature limit turns on the material and on contact duration; a creepage distance turns on working voltage, pollution degree and material group. On this standard there is a further trap: Table 4 itself was corrected in August 2025, so a number copied from an older summary may simply be out of date.

Ordinary, instructed and skilled persons

Clause 0.2 defines the three kinds of person. Unless the standard says otherwise, the requirements for an ordinary person apply.

Person	Definition in clause 0.2	Exposure the standard tolerates
Ordinary person	Every person other than an instructed or skilled person, including anyone who can be in the vicinity of the equipment	No source capable of causing pain under normal or abnormal operating conditions; no source capable of causing injury under a single fault condition
Instructed person	Instructed and trained by a skilled person, or supervised by one, to identify energy sources that can cause pain and avoid unintentional contact	No source capable of causing injury under normal, abnormal or single fault conditions
Skilled person	Has training or experience in the equipment technology and the energies it uses	Expected to recognise class 2 and class 3 sources; still protected against unintentional contact with sources capable of causing injury

Two notes in the standard matter for compliance in Europe and Australia: in Germany, a person can only be regarded as instructed or skilled if certain legal requirements are met, and in Australia the work of such persons can require formal licensing.

Clause 0.5.5.2 adds a point that technical files often get wrong: providing an instructional safeguard (a label, a warning) does not turn an ordinary person into an instructed person. Where the product sits in a technical room, what makes the room "restricted" is how access is controlled, and that has to be documented, not assumed. Accessibility itself is determined by the procedure of Annex V.

Safeguards

Clause 0.5 describes safeguards by where they sit and by how robust they are.

Kind	What it is (clause 0.5)
Equipment safeguard	A physical part of the equipment: basic, supplementary, double or reinforced. Preferred, because it needs no knowledge or action from the person
Installation safeguard	Part of the installation, generally a supplementary safeguard (protective earthing is the example given). Not specified by this standard, but assumed effective
Personal safeguard	Used by the person as specified by the manufacturer; its requirements are not addressed by the standard
Instructional safeguard	Information (symbols, words, audible message) intended to invoke a specific behaviour
Precautionary safeguard	The training or supervision of an instructed person, protecting against class 2 sources
Skill safeguard	The education, training and experience of a skilled person, protecting against class 2 or class 3 sources

Table 3 of the standard then distinguishes the robustness levels of an equipment safeguard: a basic safeguard is effective under normal operating conditions (example: basic insulation); a supplementary safeguard is effective if the basic one fails (examples: supplementary insulation, a fire enclosure); a reinforced safeguard is effective under normal operating conditions and in the event of a single fault elsewhere in the equipment (example: reinforced insulation). A double safeguard is a basic plus a supplementary safeguard.

Power sources PS1, PS2 and PS3

The PS classes serve clause 6, electrically caused fire. Clause 6.2.2 classifies each circuit by the power available to a fault, and the fire-spread requirements then follow the class: 6.4.4 for PS1 circuits, 6.4.5 for PS2 circuits, 6.4.6 for PS3 circuits, with the construction of fire enclosures and fire barriers in 6.4.8 and the flammability tests in Annex S.

Two points from the primary texts help when reading a schematic:

The class belongs to a circuit, not to the product. A mains-powered product typically has PS3 circuits on the primary side and lower classes on limited outputs.
IEC 62368-3 states that PS2 circuits are generally expected to provide less than 100 W to an undefined load under both normal and single fault conditions. The exact measurement method and the PS1 boundary are in 6.2.2 of the edition you test to.

The flammability classes of materials are referenced through IEC 60695-11-10 and the other IEC 60695 test methods listed in clause 2, not through a product's marketing data sheet. Which class a fire enclosure or a printed board needs depends on the circuit class and on the location of potential ignition sources (6.2.3), so take it from clause 6 rather than from a rule of thumb.

EN 62368-1 and the Low Voltage Directive

The LVD (Directive 2014/35/EU) covers electrical equipment designed for use with a voltage rating between 50 and 1 000 V AC and between 75 and 1 500 V DC (Article 1). It uses Module A, internal production control (Annex III): there is no notified body under the LVD.

Article 12 gives presumption of conformity only to harmonised standards whose references are published in the Official Journal. For this family, the current list (Annex I to Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2723, consolidated version of 30 April 2026) contains:

Entry	Reference cited	Remark
373	EN 60950-21:2003	Remote power feeding, still cited
374	EN 60950-22:2006 + AC:2008	Equipment installed outdoors, still cited
375	EN 60950-23:2006 + AC:2008	Large data storage equipment, still cited
555	EN 62368-1:2014 + AC:2015	IEC 62368-1:2014, modified: the second IEC edition

EN IEC 62368-1:2020 and EN IEC 62368-1:2024 are absent from that list. The European foreword of EN IEC 62368-1:2024 says it was prepared under a standardisation request from the Commission, but being prepared under a request is not the same as being cited. A test laboratory (SIQ) reported in December 2025 that the harmonised standards consultant assessment of the 2024 edition produced extensive comments and that citation in the Official Journal was unlikely for that edition; treat this as a secondary report, and check the consolidated decision before relying on any change.

What this means for a manufacturer:

Applying EN 62368-1:2014 + AC:2015 gives presumption of conformity with the safety objectives of Annex I that it covers.
Applying EN IEC 62368-1:2024 is legitimate, but under Annex III point 2(d) the technical documentation must then describe the solutions adopted to meet the safety objectives, since the standard applied is not a cited harmonised standard.
The 2024 EN reproduces IEC 62368-1:2023 without modification (endorsement notice), so an IECEE CB report to the 2023 IEC edition and the 2024 EN cover the same technical content, subject to the European national differences.
Electromagnetic compatibility is a separate directive (2014/30/EU) and separate standards: a product compliant with the LVD is not CE-markable on that basis alone. See EMC.

For the wider directive, see the LVD guide. For the role of EN references in the declaration, see presumption of conformity.

The GPSR citation for sound exposure

EN IEC 62368-1:2020 with A11:2020 appears in the Official Journal under a different act: Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/901 of 17 April 2026 on European standards for products under Regulation (EU) 2023/988 (general product safety). Entry 50 is restricted to clauses 3.3.19 (sound exposure) and 10.6 (safeguard against acoustic energy sources). For personal music players sold to consumers, that is the route to presumption of safety for the hearing-damage risk; it does not extend to the rest of the standard.

UL 62368-1 in the United States

UL 62368-1, fourth edition, is dated and ANSI-approved on July 31, 2025, and is an adoption of the fourth IEC edition with US national differences; the UL catalogue lists the third edition as archived. The catalogue description also refers to provisions for Canadian installations under the Canadian Electrical Code, Part I.

The legal hook in the US is workplace safety. Under 29 CFR 1910.303(a), electrical equipment covered by OSHA Subpart S is acceptable only if approved, and 1910.399 defines approved equipment as equipment accepted, certified, listed or labelled by a nationally recognized testing laboratory (NRTL) recognised under 1910.7. That is why NRTL listing to UL 62368-1 is the norm for IT and AV equipment. The FCC, for its part, regulates emissions and spectrum use, not electrical safety. See the NRTL guide.

IEC TR 62368-2, the explanatory report

IEC TR 62368-2:2025 (edition 4.0, published 3 July 2025) is titled "Explanatory information related to IEC 62368-1:2023". It replaces the 2019 edition, which explained the 2018 standard. It carries no normative force, but clause 1 of IEC 62368-1 points to it for the rationale behind the requirements, and it is the document to cite when defending an interpretation to a certification body or a market surveillance authority. Use the edition that matches the edition of Part 1 you test to.

Batteries

Equipment with batteries falls under Annex M, which includes additional safeguards for equipment containing a secondary lithium battery (M.4), with a fire enclosure requirement and a drop test. Clause 2 of the standard references IEC 62133-2:2017 with AMD1:2021 for lithium cells and batteries, and IEC 62281 for safety of lithium cells and batteries during transport. The fourth edition revised the battery charging requirements. For the cell and transport side, see the IEC 62133 and UN 38.3 guide.

What the standard does not address

Clause 1 lists what is out of scope even for equipment in scope: manufacturing processes except routine tests, gases released by thermal decomposition or combustion, disposal, effects of transport and storage beyond what the standard specifies, particulate radiation, use in oxygen-enriched or explosive atmospheres (see ATEX), electrostatic discharge events, exposure to electromagnetic fields, environmental aspects, and functional safety except for work cells. It also assumes a maximum altitude of 2 000 m unless the manufacturer specifies otherwise.

Typical test sequence

A 62368-1 campaign in an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory combines document review with tests on samples:

documentation review: energy source identification and classification, safeguard list, schematics, construction drawings, critical components (Annex G) and their certificates, battery data (Annex M),
electrical tests: electric strength of insulation, touch current and protective conductor current (5.7), protective earthing,
normal, abnormal and single fault condition tests per Annex B, including blocked ventilation and component faults,
thermal tests: accessible surface temperatures (clause 9) and component temperatures,
fire tests: circuit classification under 6.2, fire-spread compliance, flammability of materials (Annex S),
mechanical tests: stability, mechanical strength (Annex T), accessible parts (Annex V),
report: an IECEE CB test report on the IEC test report form, with national differences for each target country. See the CB scheme guide.

For the test sequence in a CE context, see the CE tests page and the list of harmonised standards on the CE standards page.

Claims the texts contradict

Common claim (including earlier versions of this page)	What the text says
"IEC 60950-1 and IEC 60065 were withdrawn on 20 December 2020"	20 December 2020 is the EU date of cessation of presumption of conformity for EN 60065 and EN 60950-1 (OJ C 326, 14.9.2018). The IEC web store gives 29 March 2024 as the withdrawal date of both IEC standards.
"The whole 60950 family is gone from the LVD list"	EN 60950-21, EN 60950-22 and EN 60950-23 are still entries 373 to 375 of Decision 2023/2723 (consolidated 30 April 2026). Only EN 60950-1 was superseded by EN 62368-1.
"The latest EN 62368-1 gives presumption of conformity under the LVD"	Only EN 62368-1:2014 + AC:2015 is cited (entry 555). The 2020 and 2024 ENs are not cited under the LVD.
"EN IEC 62368-1:2020 is still the harmonised version under the LVD"	It is not in Decision 2023/2723. Its only Official Journal citation is under the GPSR (Decision 2026/901), and only for clauses 3.3.19 and 10.6.
"EN IEC 62368-1:2024 applies from 15 May 2024"	The European foreword fixes a dop of 15 February 2025 and a dow of 15 February 2027, and the EN is dated April 2024.
"The IEC decided the transition in 2014, with a six-year window"	The IEC records show editions in 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2023. The 20 December 2020 date comes from the EU listing, not from an IEC decision.
"The fourth edition added USB-C Power Delivery"	The foreword lists four changes: external circuits table, fire enclosure openings, liquid filled components, battery charging. DC power over USB and PoE is in IEC 62368-3.
"Chemical and radiated energy have no classes"	Radiation has three classes, RS1 to RS3 (clause 10.2). Chemical hazards (clause 7) have none.
"ES1 is below 30 V AC or 60 V DC"	The limits are in Table 4, which depends on frequency and on the current criterion, and which the August 2025 corrected version updated. Read it in the edition you use.
"A PS3 fire enclosure must be V-0 or metal; PS1 needs a 15 W limit"	Clause 6 sets enclosure and material requirements by circuit class and potential ignition source, with tests in Annex S. Take the values from 6.2.2 and 6.4 of your edition.
"Notified bodies review 62368-1 files under the LVD"	The LVD uses Module A, internal production control. There are no notified bodies under the LVD.
"The normative reference must appear in the product marking"	The LVD asks for standards to be listed in the technical documentation and the EU declaration of conformity, not on the product.
"A warning label makes the user an instructed person"	Clause 0.5.5.2: an instructional safeguard does not turn an ordinary person into an instructed person.

Frequently asked questions

What is the scope of IEC 62368-1?: Clause 1 of IEC 62368-1:2023 applies the standard to the safety of electrical and electronic equipment within the field of audio, video, information and communication technology, and business and office machines, with a rated voltage not exceeding 600 V. It also covers components and subassemblies for such equipment, external power supply units that primarily supply it, accessories, large equipment in restricted access areas, equipment for tropical regions and outdoor equipment (Annex Y). It excludes robotic equipment with non-self-contained hazardous moving parts, personal care robots, power supply systems that are not part of the equipment, and equipment for wet areas indoors. Annex A gives examples of equipment in scope. The current IEC edition is the fourth, IEC 62368-1:2023, published on 26 May 2023 (corrected version August 2025).
What is the HBSE principle behind 62368-1?: Hazard-based safety engineering starts from the energy source, not from a product category. The introduction (clause 0) uses a three-block model: an energy source, a transfer mechanism, a body part. Each energy source is classified as class 1 (not painful, but can be detectable), class 2 (painful, but not an injury) or class 3 (injury), per Table 1. A safeguard is then interposed between a class 2 or class 3 source and the body part, and the type and number of safeguards depend on the class of the source and on who can reach it: an ordinary, instructed or skilled person. The standard defines five classified families: ES (electrical), PS (power sources for fire), MS (mechanical), TS (thermal) and RS (radiation). Chemical hazards are handled in clause 7 without a class scale.
When did IEC 62368-1 replace IEC 60950-1 and IEC 60065?: Two different dates answer two different questions. In the EU, the Official Journal listing of EN 62368-1:2014 (Commission communication 2018/C 326/02) set 20 December 2020 as the date of cessation of presumption of conformity of the superseded EN 60065:2014 + A11:2017 and EN 60950-1:2006 with its amendments. At the IEC, the standards themselves stayed in the catalogue longer: the IEC web store gives a withdrawal date of 29 March 2024 for both IEC 60950-1:2005+AMD1:2009+AMD2:2013 and IEC 60065:2014. EN 60950-21, EN 60950-22 and EN 60950-23 are still cited under the LVD.
What is the difference between ordinary, instructed and skilled persons?: Clause 0.2 of IEC 62368-1:2023 defines them. An ordinary person is anyone who is neither instructed nor skilled, including people who are only in the vicinity of the equipment; ordinary persons should not be exposed to energy sources capable of causing pain under normal and abnormal operating conditions, nor to those capable of causing injury under a single fault condition. An instructed person has been instructed and trained by a skilled person, or is supervised by one, to identify class 2 energy sources and take precautions. A skilled person has training or experience in the equipment technology and is expected to recognise class 2 and class 3 sources and protect against them. A warning label alone does not turn an ordinary person into an instructed person.
What do ES1, ES2 and ES3 mean?: They are the three electrical energy source classes of clause 5.2, read against Table 1 of the introduction: ES1 is not painful but can be detectable, ES2 is painful but not an injury, ES3 can cause injury. The numerical limits for steady-state ES1 and ES2 are in Table 4 of the standard, which the August 2025 corrected version of IEC 62368-1:2023 updated. Take the values from the edition you test to, with that correction, rather than from a summary: they depend on frequency, on whether voltage or current is the criterion, and on capacitance and pulse conditions in other tables.
What are the PS1, PS2 and PS3 power source classes?: Clause 6.2.2 classifies circuits by the power they can deliver into a fault, for the purpose of electrically caused fire. The class drives the fire-spread rules: clause 6.4.4 for PS1 circuits, 6.4.5 for PS2 circuits and 6.4.6 for PS3 circuits, with fire enclosures and fire barriers in 6.4.8. IEC 62368-3 notes that PS2 circuits are generally expected to provide less than 100 W to an undefined load under normal and single fault conditions. The class is a property of each circuit, so one product usually contains several classes.
How does EN 62368-1 interact with the Low Voltage Directive?: Under Article 12 of Directive 2014/35/EU, only standards whose references are published in the Official Journal give presumption of conformity. The only reference for this standard cited under the LVD is EN 62368-1:2014 with EN 62368-1:2014/AC:2015, entry 555 of Annex I to Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/2723 (consolidated version of 30 April 2026). Neither EN IEC 62368-1:2020 nor EN IEC 62368-1:2024, the adoption of the fourth edition, is cited under the LVD. EN IEC 62368-1:2020 with A11:2020 is cited only under Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety, and only for clauses 3.3.19 and 10.6 on sound exposure (Decision (EU) 2026/901). Testing to the 2024 edition is still possible: Annex III of the LVD then asks the technical documentation to describe the solutions adopted to meet the safety objectives.
Why is a medical device certified to 62368-1 not 60601-1 compliant?: The two standards have different purposes. 62368-1 covers audio video, IT and communications equipment. IEC 60601-1 covers medical electrical equipment, including applied parts in contact with the patient and the means of patient protection (MOPP) that such parts require. A 62368-1 report does not address patient leakage current or MOPP. For the medical side, see the IEC 60601-1 guide.
What are the most common pitfalls when applying 62368-1?: Five recur. Assuming the latest EN gives presumption of conformity under the LVD, when only EN 62368-1:2014 is cited. Quoting energy-class thresholds from memory instead of Table 4 of the edition in use, which was corrected in August 2025. Treating an equipment room as restricted to skilled persons without documenting how access is controlled. Forgetting that batteries bring Annex M and the normative reference to IEC 62133-2:2017 with AMD1:2021. And confusing electrical safety with EMC, which falls under Directive 2014/30/EU.