Standards for electrical safety

As the causes of hazards and therefore the technical measures needed to avoid them can vary greatly, a distinction is made between different types of safety, e.g. by stating the cause of potential hazards.

Where a machine is powered by electricity it must be designed, constructed and equipped so that all hazards of an electrical nature are or can be avoided. The most common electrical hazard is electric shock. Electrical current can have irreversible repercussions on the nervous and muscle system as well as causing thermal effects. Overload, arcing or static discharge may also cause fires.

Machines must be equipped in such a way as to avoid direct contact with live cables or conductive parts that are usually live. The manufacturer must also prevent hazards arising from indirect contact with earth or a conductive part which may be live.

The following standards are some of the most important for electrical safety:

This standard applies to the use of electrical and electronic equipment and machine systems which are not carried by hand during operation, including groups of machines operating in a co-ordinated manner. [... more]

This standard provides detailed information on the electrical and mechanical design of emergency stop devices with mechanical latching function and on their testing. It applies to electrical control equipment and switching elements used to generate an emergency stop command. Such equipment may be installed either in its own housing or in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications. [... more]

The NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) developed NFPA 79 as a counterpart to EN 60204-1. NFPA 79 describes the requirements of electrical equipment on machinery. [... more]