Three new safety standards are pre-released

Project IEC 60445 is one of the FDIS
available in the IEC Webstore

Three FDIS (Final Draft International Standard) dealing with safety are currently available in the IEC Webstore as pre-release International Standards.

Before it becomes a full IEC International Standard, a draft standard goes through the FDIS stage. At this point, the actual content of the future International Standard is final; the only changes that are permitted are typographical. An FDIS, if it is approved, will be published six weeks or less after the closing date of the two-month voting period.

The IEC Webstore offers FDIS for purchase during the voting period, as a special package. Customers can start integrating the new International Standard straight away into procedures and working practices. Once the International Standard is released, customers who bought the pre-release receive the final publication automatically.

Three of the FDIS International Standards currently available in the Webstore as pre-releases deal with safety aspects:

• Project IEC 60445, Basic and safety principles for man-machine interface, marking and identification – Identification of equipment terminals, conductor terminations and conductors

This project, the work of IEC TC (Technical Committee) 16: Basic and safety principles for man-machine interface, marking and identification, is the fifth version of IEC 60445, the fourth edition having been released in 2006. It applies to the identification and marking of terminals of electrical equipment such as resistors, fuses, relays, contactors, transformers, rotating machines and, wherever applicable, to combinations of such equipment (e.g. assemblies), as well as to the identification of terminations of certain designated conductors. It provides general rules for the use of certain colours of alphanumeric notations to identify conductors with the aim of avoiding ambiguity and ensuring safe operation.

• Project IEC 61210, Connecting devices – Flat quick-connect terminations for electrical copper conductors – Safety requirements

This International Standard, the first edition of which was published in 1993 by SC (Subcommittee) 23F: Connecting devices, applies to non-insulated flat quick-connect terminations. It establishes uniform requirements for the dimensions, performance characteristics and test programme of these devices. This new edition is the second.

• Project IEC 61558-2-23, Safety of transformers, reactors, power supply units and combinations thereof – Part 2-23: Particular requirements and tests for transformers and power supply units for construction sites

This project is the second edition of IEC 61558-2-23, originally published in 2000. This part of the IEC 61558 series deals with the safety of transformers for construction sites and power supply units incorporating transformers for production sites. It also covers transformers incorporating electronic circuits, and is the work of TC 96: Transformers, reactors, power supply units, and combinations thereof.

These three documents are scheduled for publication in early autumn 2010.