This non-mandatory IEC Guide complements ISO/IEC Guide 51 and establishes guidelines useful for achieving safety in low voltage (LV) equipment. These guidelines include risk assessment, in which the knowledge and experience of the design, use, incidents, accidents and harm related to low voltage equipment are brought together in order to assess the risks during the relevant phases of the life of the equipment, as specified in Clause 6, and to implement the basic principles for risk reduction measures. This IEC guide should be used by technical committees as far as appropriate and to the extent they decide to apply it.

This IEC Guide gives additional guidance to ISO/IEC Guides 50, 51 and 71 on the information required to allow risk assessment to be performed. Procedures are described for identifying hazards, estimating and evaluating risk (including comparison of risks) and risk reduction where necessary. Harms considered in this document include possible damages to persons, property, or domestic animals. It is not intended that the structure of this guide be adopted by technical committees.

This IEC Guide also includes requirements for the equipment documentation to include adequate information for the safe use of equipment.