This part of IEC 60695‑1 provides guidance for assessing the fire hazard of electrotechnical products and for the resulting development of fire hazard testing as related directly to harm to people, animals or property. For the purposes of this standard, product means complete electrotechnical equipments, their parts (including components) and electrical insulating materials.

It outlines a hazard-based process to identify appropriate fire test methods and performance criteria for products. The principles of the methodology are to identify fire events (fire scenarios) which will be associated with the product, to establish how the measurable fire properties of the product are related to the possible occurrence and outcome of those events, and to establish test methods and performance requirements for those properties which will either result in a tolerable fire outcome or eliminate the event altogether.

This standard is intended as guidance to IEC committees, and should be used with respect to their individual applications. The actual implementation of this standard remains the responsibility of each product committee, according to the minimum acceptable fire safety in its application field and taking into account the feedback from experience.

This basic safety publication is intended for use by technical committees in the preparation of standards in accordance with the principles laid down in IEC Guide 104 and ISO/IEC Guide 51.

One of the responsibilities of a technical committee is, wherever applicable, to make use of basic safety publications in the preparation of its publications. The requirements, test methods or test conditions of this basic safety publication will not apply unless specifically referred to or included in the relevant publications.