Radio Spectrum and Technical Standards
Advisory Committee
SSAC Paper 7/2018 for information
A Brief Overview of IEC 62368-1
Audio/video, information and communication technology
equipment – Part 1: Safety requirements
Office of the Communications Authority
29 August 2018
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)
 Founded in 1906
 world’s leading organization that prepares and publishes
International Standards for all electrical, electronic and
related technologies
 over 20 000 experts from industry, commerce, government,
test and research labs, academia and consumer groups
participate in IEC standardization work
 All IEC standards are reviewed once every 5 years
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Why IEC 62368-1 is needed
Existing safety standards could not keep up with technology
convergence
IEC 62368-1 : safety standards for IT
equipment, office appliances, consumer
electronics, telecommunications
equipment as well as combination of
each
IEC 62368-1 caters for safety of IoT
devices
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Global Equivalence
Other Countries
Equivalent
Standard
Canada
CSA 62368-1
South Korea
KN 62368-1
Australia /New
Zealand
AS/NZS 62368-1
Japan
J62368-1
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Scope of IEC 62368-1 (Partial List)
Consumer electronics
amplifiers, game stations, musical instrument, etc.
Data processing and computer network equipment
PCs, laptops, LCD display, servers, routers, Ethernet
switches, etc.
Office appliances
Shredders, cutting machines, copying machines, electronic
type-writers, etc.
Telecommunications equipment
Network infrastructure, telephone systems, answering
machines, modem, fixed and mobile phones, etc.
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IEC 62368-1 At a Glance (1)
This international standard is a product safety
standard that classifies energy sources, prescribes
safeguards against those energy sources, and provides
guidance on the application of, and requirements for,
those safeguards. The prescribed safeguards are
intended to reduce the likelihood of pain, injury and, in
the case of fire, property damage.
Identify
energy
sources
Classify those
energy
sources
Identify
needed
safeguards
Qualify
safeguard
effectiveness
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IEC 62368-1 At a Glance (2)
Covers audio/video
and ICT equipment
New safety approach that
covers the scope of the two
legacy standards
Audio, video and
electronic apparatus
IT equipment
Adopted in HKCA
2001 for regulating
the lithium-ion
battery safety of
subscriber terminal
equipment, and
transmission of
excessive electrical
voltage from fixed
line subscriber
terminal equipment
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Energy Sources and Safeguards
in IEC 62368-1
8
Energy Sources that may cause injury
Electrical
Energy
Thermal
Energy
Radiated
Energy
Kinetic
Energy
Chemical
Energy
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Safeguards (1)
Different safeguard for each kind of persons
Ordinary person
Users of the equipment, persons who may have access to
the equipment or who may be in the vicinity of the
equipment
Instructed person
Person instructed and trained or supervised by a skilled
person
Skilled person
Person who has training and/or experience in the
equipment technology. Expected to identify energy sources
that may cause pain or injury and take precautions to avoid
contact
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Safeguard (2)
Classify the energy sources for the equipment
Electrical Energy
Source
Effect on Body
Effect on Combustible materials
Class 1 (ES1)
Not painful, but may be
detectable
Ignition not likely
Class 2 (ES2)
Painful, but no injury
Ignition possible, but limited growth and
spread of fire
Class 3 (ES3)
Injury
Ignition likely, rapid growth and spread of
fire
Safeguard
Electrical energy sources capable of
causing pain or injury to a body part;
or electricity-caused fire
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Safeguards (3)
Limits of Electrical Energy Sources
12
Safeguards (4)
Model for electrically-cause pain or injury
Cause
Protection by
safeguards
13
Safeguards (5)
Model for electrically-caused fire
Cause
Supplementary
safeguard
Basic safeguard
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Safeguards (6)
The manufacturer should
declare energy class (ES1, ES2,
ES3) and user class
Safeguards shall be
applied according to
the declared class
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Transition from IEC 60950-1
to IEC 62368-1
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New Safety Approach of IEC 62368-1
IEC 60950-1
Prescriptive Approach
 Follow a set of design
rules
 Adhere to known
solutions for hazard
avoidance
Technology dependent
IEC 62368-1
Hazard-Based Approach
 Identify hazards during
product development
Focus on preventing
hazards, rather than
following solutions
More performance
options for manufacturers
to demonstrate compliance
Technology independent
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Contents of IEC 60950-1 (Prescriptive Approach)
18
Contents of IEC 62368-1 (Hazard-based)
19
Changes related to telecom equipment
 Telecommunications network and cable distribution
system – replaced by external circuit, an electrical circuit
(wired and wireless) external to the equipment and not the
mains
 Telecommunication network voltages (TNVs) – replaced by
different class of electrical energy sources (ES1, ES2, ES3)
 Requirement on battery safety includes coin /button cell
batteries, i.e. covers safety of IoT and wearable devices
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Date of Withdrawal of IEC 60950-1
Jan 2010
Publication of IEC
62368-1 first edition,
not adopted
worldwide
8 April 2016
EU announced withdrawal
date of EN 60950-1 as 20
June 2019
Feb 2014
20 Dec 2020
Q3 2018
Publication of IEC
62368-1 3rd edition
15 June 2018
EU re-adjusted the
Publication of IEC
62368-1 2nd edition, withdrawal date of EN
gaining worldwide 60950-1 as 20 Dec 2020
acceptance
Global withdrawal of IEC
60950-1, IEC 62368-1 3rd
edition in force
20 June 2019
Original withdrawal
date
of IEC 60950-1
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Why needs 6 years transition?
Expect a long lead time to learn and adapt to the new safety approach
22
Transitional provisions in 2nd Edition
Ease transition and implementation
23
Way Forward
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OFCA Action Plan
Time
Work planned/done
Oct 2017
Alerted certification bodies (CBs) of IEC 60950-1 to be superseded by
IEC 62368-1 on 20.06.2019
Permitted CBs to assess compliance to HKCA 2001 by IEC 60950-1 or IEC 62368-1
July 2018
Alerted CBs global date of withdrawal of IEC 60950-1 as 20.12.2020
Advised CBs to continue the dual-standard approach till 20.12.2020
Informed CBs HK 2001 revision in end Q4 2020
Aug 2018
Brief the Spectrum and Technical Standards Advisory Committee on IEC
62368-1 development and the transition
Dec 2020
Revise HKCA 2001 and other HKCA 20xx specifications that adopt IEC 60950-1
Amend certification scheme documents that mandate competence in safety
evaluation
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Implications to Testing Agencies and CBs
Avoid last-minute rush, call for actions by
testing laboratories and CBs now
Acquire training and knowledge of evaluating
compliance to IEC 62368-1
Obtain accreditation to demonstrate technical
competence in IEC 62368-1 safety testing and
certification
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Thank You