BS EN IEC 60335-1:2023+A11:2023

What is BS EN IEC 60335-1:2023+A11:2023 Household and similar electrical appliances - General requirements about?

BS EN IEC 60335-1:2023+A11:2023 deals with general requirements for the safety of mainly domestic and some light industrial electrical appliances. Subsequent standards in the series cover the particular requirements of specific appliances. BS EN IEC 60335-1:2023+A11:2023 is a major technical revision that adds more safety requirements as a result of the growing smart home appliance market, and the growing number of cordless household appliances.

Who is BS EN IEC 60335-1:2023+A11:2023 Household and similar electrical appliances - General requirements for?

• manufacturers of household electrical appliances
• consumers
• certification and testing laboratories
• regulatory authorities
• retailers

What does BS EN IEC 60335-1:2023+A11:2023 Household and similar electrical appliances - General requirements cover?

BS EN IEC 60335-1:2023+A11:2023 specifies general requirements for the safety of electrical appliances for the household environment and commercial purposes, providing their rated voltage is not more than 250 V for single-phase and 480 V for other appliances. The scope also includes battery-operated appliances and other d.c. supplied appliances.

Also within the scope are appliances not intended for normal household use but intended for use by expert or trained users in shops, in light industry and on farms, and appliances that are declared to be for commercial use by lay people.

BS EN IEC 60335-1:2023+A11:2023 deals with reasonably foreseeable hazards. Specifications include defining the classification and marking of electrical equipment, protection against live parts, heating, leakage currents, electric strength at operating temperatures, moisture resistance, resistance to heat and fire, stability and mechanical hazards, internal wiring and supply connections.

Why should you use BS EN IEC 60335-1:2023+A11:2023 Household and similar electrical appliances - General requirements?

• It can help improve the safety in use of electrical appliances, increasing safety in the home.
• It can build confidence in the quality of products along the whole supply chain, helping smooth market access and protect brand reputations.
• It can boost consumer confidence in a product line and brand.
• It can improve manufacturing and testing efficiency.
• It is up to date, helping manufacturers increase the safety of appliances that incorporate the latest technologies, for instance in relation to cyber security, software management and cordless technology.

What's changed?

BS EN IEC 60335-1:2023+A11:2023 supersedes BS EN IEC 60335-1:2012+A16:2023, which has been technically revised. The main changes are as follows:

• It clarifies requirements for PELV circuits
• It clarifies requirements on measurement of power input and rated current when they vary throughout the operating cycle
• It replaces normative Annex S with the informative Annex S "Guidance for the application of this standard on measurement of power input and current based on the requirements of 10.1 and 10.2 concerning the representative period"
• It introduces and clarifies mechanical strength requirements for appliances with integral pins for insertion into socket-outlets
• It revises requirements for battery-operated appliances
• It introduces requirements for metal-ion batteries including a new Clause 12 Charging of metal-ion batteries
• It introduces requirements for appliances incorporating appliance outlets and socket-outlets accessible to the user
• It revises and clarifies requirements for appliances incorporating a functional earth
• It introduces moisture resistance test requirements for appliances that incorporate an automatic cord reel and that have a second numeral IP rating
• It clarifies the appliance test criteria for the moisture resistance for appliances and parts of appliances with integral pins for insertion into socket-outlets
• It introduces limits on the output voltage of an accessible safety extra-low voltage outlet or connector or Universal Serial Bus (USB) under abnormal operation conditions
• It introduces requirements to cover optical radiation hazards
• It introduces external communication software management items into normative Annex R
• It revises external communication requirements in Table R.1 and Table R.2
• It introduces new normative Annex U cyber security requirements to avoid unauthorized access and the effects of transmission failures via remote communication through public networks.