IEC 60950

IEC 60950
Name	IEC 60950
Status	Withdrawn / Superseded
First published	1986
Organization	International Electrotechnical Commission
Subject	Information technology equipment safety

IEC 60950

IEC 60950 was an international safety standard for information technology equipment developed by the International Electrotechnical Commission and used worldwide to define safeguards for electrical, mechanical, thermal, and fire risks in computing and communications devices. The standard influenced national standards and certification regimes across regions and affected manufacturers, testing laboratories, and regulatory bodies involved with personal computers, printers, networking equipment, and telecommunications apparatus. It set out requirements that intersected with product design, quality assurance, conformity assessment, and trade practices, shaping market entry criteria for multinational firms.

Scope and Purpose

The scope and purpose defined protective measures for equipment intended for information processing and communications, covering electrical appliances such as personal computers, servers, printers, routers, and storage systems used in residential, commercial, and industrial environments. It aligned safety objectives with conformity assessment schemes operated by organizations like the International Organization for Standardization, the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization, the Underwriters Laboratories, and national bodies such as the British Standards Institution, Deutsches Institut für Normung, and American National Standards Institute. The intent was to reduce hazards including electric shock, fire, and mechanical injury through prescriptive and risk-based provisions similar to frameworks used by the World Trade Organization and regional trade blocs like the European Union and the North American Free Trade Agreement era agencies.

History and Revisions

IEC 60950 originated in the 1980s as computing equipment proliferated, succeeding earlier electrical safety rules drafted by committees within the International Electrotechnical Commission and influenced by work at the International Telecommunication Union and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Major revisions were produced in subsequent decades to address evolving technologies, with liaison from standards committees such as those of the European Telecommunications Standards Institute and national regulators including the Federal Communications Commission and Health and Safety Executive. The standard’s revision cycle reflected input from industry consortia like the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Computer Society, the HomePlug Powerline Alliance, and multinational corporations including IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Siemens, and Toshiba.

Technical Requirements and Safety Principles

Technical requirements emphasized insulation, clearances, creepage distances, earthing, protective earthing conductors, double insulation, and guarding against access to live parts. Fire performance, flammability classifications, and component ratings were specified in terms resonant with testing protocols from laboratories such as Underwriters Laboratories and TUV Rheinland, while electromagnetic considerations intersected with standards from the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Protection against excessive temperatures, mechanical stability, and battery safety referenced guidance used by agencies like the National Institute of Standards and Technology and manufacturers including Sony, Panasonic, and Samsung.

Testing and Certification Processes

Certification under IEC 60950 required conformity assessment conducted by accredited testing laboratories and certification bodies such as Underwriters Laboratories, TUV SUD, Intertek, and Bureau Veritas. Test plans included dielectric strength, leakage current, temperature-rise, flammability testing of plastics, and verification of protective bonding — procedures comparable to accreditation criteria from the International Accreditation Forum and national accreditation bodies like United Kingdom Accreditation Service and National Institute of Metrology. Declarations of conformity and technical files were maintained by manufacturers and verified during factory audits by certification program administrators representing purchasers like government procurement agencies and global retailers such as Best Buy and Amazon.

Regional Adoption and Harmonization

Regional adoption saw harmonized national standards incorporating IEC 60950 text into documents like the European EN standards, the Canadian Standards Association rules, and national electrical codes referenced by authorities in Japan, Australia, and Brazil. Harmonization efforts involved liaison with the European Commission’s New Approach directives, the Eurasian Economic Union regulators, and trade facilitation entities within the World Trade Organization. Differences across markets required normative annexes to accommodate climatic categories and mains voltage variations used by utilities in countries such as the United States, China, India, and Russia.

Impact on Manufacturers and Compliance

Manufacturers from multinational corporations to small original equipment manufacturers reengineered designs, supply chains, and component selection to meet IEC 60950 requirements, affecting firms like Dell, Acer, Lenovo, Foxconn, and Asus. Compliance drove certification costs, influenced international market access strategies, and prompted supplier qualification programs used by contract electronics manufacturers and electronics manufacturing services providers. Noncompliance risks included market recalls, injunctions by consumer protection agencies, and reputational damage with stakeholders including retailers, insurers, and institutional buyers.

Transition to IEC 62368 and Legacy Status

IEC 60950 was progressively replaced by IEC 62368, a hazard-based standard reflecting changes in audio/visual and information and communication technology convergence supported by stakeholders including the International Electrotechnical Commission committees and industry alliances. The transition timetable mandated by regulators and conformity assessment organizations required migration plans from manufacturers, certification bodies, and test laboratories, with legacy equipment often grandfathered under transitional provisions managed by national agencies. IEC 60950’s legacy persists in archived technical reports, historical certification records, and ongoing considerations for decommissioning, recycling, and safety incident investigations involving legacy equipment.

Category:Standards