IEC 62368-1: The new standard for Information Technology and Audio Video equipment

By Noel Lovato, Product Safety Manager, NTS Silicon ValleyThe next five years will be critical for manufacturers of Information Technology, IEC 60950-1 and Audio Video Equipment, IEC 60065-1. A new standard has been developed and is expected to be required in many countries throughout the world. That standard is IEC 62368-1, Audio/Video, information and communication technology equipment – Part 1: Safety*.This standard is unique approach in that it is based on hazard based engineering that is intended to be adaptable to new and innovative technologies instead of constantly amending existing standards to address this.This First Edition of this standard has been around for a few years, but has not gained worldwide acceptance. The Second edition is anticipated to be accepted on a more global basis. That is expected to be formally accepted in mid to late May, 2014. This does not mean it will be required immediately, but will be phased in anywhere from a 3-5 year period.What does this mean for products currently certified to either IEC 60950-1 or IEC 60065-1? Initially not much as those standards will still be accepted for several years to come. However, by 2019, IEC 62368-1 is expected to be fully required in North America, EU and a few other countries around the world. As always, there will most likely be a few countries not adopting it by then, but those counties have yet to be determined. At this time, it appears that manufacturer’s will need to determine prior to 2019 if existing product need to be evaluated to the new requirements.One critical item about the new standard that although it is a hazardous based standard, this does not mean manufacturers will have to develop risk assessments for their products like some other standards require. What this does mean is that risk analysis was used to development the specific safety requirements of the standard. The standard itself uses specific compliance and performance criteria to demonstrate compliance to the relief of manufacturers.Please contact us for more information via email or call at 510-578-3500 for questions you may have regarding this standard and how it affects your future test programs.*Corresponding UL/CSA/EN versions of the Standards are also in various stages of acceptance as well.