BS EN IEC/IEEE 82079-1:2020

What is BS EN IEC 82079‑1 about?  

BS EN IEC 82079‑1 provides principles and general requirements for information for the use of products. 

Information for use is: 

• Necessary for the safe use of a product 
• Helpful for the efficient and effective use of a product 
• Often necessary to fulfil market, legal, and regulatory obligations 

BS EN IEC 82079‑1 applies to phases of the product life cycle such as transport, assembly, installation, commissioning, operation, monitoring, troubleshooting, maintenance, repair, decommissioning, and disposal, and the appropriate tasks performed by skilled and unskilled persons. 

Who is BS EN IEC 82079‑1 for? 

BS EN IEC 82079‑1 on the preparation of information is useful for products is useful for: 

• Anyone tasked with compiling or supplying user instructions, technical manuals or documentation for products, equipment or software 
• Lawyers involved in product liability cases where injury claims involve potentially inadequate user instructions or warnings 

Why should you use BS EN IEC 82079‑1?  

Information for use is a part of any type of product it supports. A product can be a system, a service, goods, software, information, or a combination thereof. People depend on the information provided to use products safely, effectively, and efficiently, unless they receive training from a human instructor or unless the functions are entirely intuitive. Confusing product information and inadequate instructions are major sources of frustration for consumers and skilled workers. Defective information can pose a risk of harm or loss, leading to prosecution or liability claims against the supplier or brand owner. 

BS EN IEC 82079-1 is a comprehensive and generic guide to the preparation of technical manuals and documentation packages for any type of product, equipment or software. 

BS EN IEC 82079-1 is the definitive international standard for user documentation, with universal application across all products and businesses, and for technical or non-technical end-users. 

BS EN IEC 82079-1 has also been comprehensively revised to improve its clarity and ease of use. 

What’s changed since the last update?  

BS EN IEC 82079‑1:2020 supersedes BS EN 82079‑1:2012. BS EN IEC 82079‑1:2020 includes some technical changes concerning BS EN 82079‑1:2012. These include: 

• The structure of IEC 82079‑1 has been rearranged to facilitate the application of the standard and to make it easier to find information. Where possible, the language has been simplified. 
• Information for use is introduced as a generic term. Instructions for use is a synonym for information for use. Step-by-step instructions are used as a subset of information for use. 
• Clause 5 (principles) is revised and focuses on the purpose of information for use, the quality of information and the process for management of information. 
• The process for the preparation of information for use is integrated into the normative part and addressed comprehensively. 
• Empirical methods for the evaluation of information for use are described in the normative part.