[Home](/)/[Resources](/resources)/EN 62368-1 Safety Standard EN 62368-1CE markingLVDsafety standard # EN 62368-1 Safety Standard: A Practical Guide for Hardware Manufacturers EN 62368-1 is the primary electrical safety standard for audio/video, information technology, and communications technology equipment in the EU. It replaced EN 60950-1 (IT equipment) and EN 60065 (audio/video) in December 2019, and compliance with it is mandatory for CE marking under the Low Voltage Directive for covered product categories. The standard uses a hazard-based safety engineering (HBSE) framework that differs significantly from the prescriptive approach of its predecessors — and understanding that framework changes how you approach product design and documentation. Copy Link[Share on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/?text=https%3A%2F%2Fkrono-labs.com%2Fguides%2Fen-62368-1-explained) [Check my compliance requirements](/platform/new) Framework ## What hazard-based safety engineering means for your product EN 62368-1 departs from the prescriptive requirement-driven approach of EN 60950-1. Instead of specifying exact component ratings and circuit configurations, it defines three classes of energy source — Class 1 (acceptable level, no protection needed), Class 2 (pain causing, protection required), and Class 3 (injury causing, safeguards required) — and requires that safeguards prevent persons from being exposed to energy above the class they can tolerate without injury. This framework shifts responsibility to the designer: you must identify hazard sources (electrical, thermal, mechanical, radiation, chemical), classify them, and demonstrate that your design safeguards are adequate. The standard provides test methods to verify safeguard adequacy, but the design path is yours to choose. In practice, EN 62368-1 compliance assessment covers: electrical hazard (shock, burn from electrical energy), thermal hazard (burn from hot surfaces), mechanical hazard (cuts, crush, ejection), radiation hazard (laser, UV, RF exposure where applicable), and chemical hazard (batteries, electrolytes). The standard integrates all these hazard classes into a unified structure rather than treating each as a separate standard. Key requirements ## Critical test areas and design implications Electrical insulation and clearances: The standard specifies creepage and clearance distances between circuits operating at different voltages, based on working voltage, pollution degree, and overvoltage category. These distances are fundamental design parameters that must be established during PCB layout — they cannot easily be added after the fact. Thermal requirements: Surface temperatures accessible to users must not exceed limits defined by body part (hand, fingertip, palm) and material (metal, non-metal). Thermal testing is conducted under worst-case conditions including maximum ambient temperature and maximum load. Temperature rises in transformers, motors, and windings are evaluated against material class limits. Protective earthing: Products with an accessible conductive chassis that could become energized must have a reliable protective earth connection with low enough impedance to allow rapid fault clearance. Continuity and impedance tests are specified. Battery safety: EN 62368-1 includes comprehensive requirements for lithium-ion and lithium-polymer batteries including charge and discharge limits, protection circuitry requirements, short-circuit and overcharge conditions, and temperature limits. These requirements are separate from and in addition to UN 38.3 transport testing. Structural requirements: Mechanical robustness tests including drop, stress relief, stability, and resistance to flexure verify that normal use and foreseeable misuse do not create new hazard exposures. Global alignment ## EN 62368-1 vs IEC 62368-1 vs UL 62368-1 EN 62368-1 is the European adoption of IEC 62368-1 with minor national differences (normative references updated to EN versions of cited standards, some CENELEC editorial changes). The technical content is essentially identical. This means test reports generated against EN 62368-1 are directly relevant to IEC 62368-1 compliance globally. UL 62368-1 is the US adoption of IEC 62368-1 with American National Differences (ANDIFs). Products tested to EN 62368-1 will typically require only the ANDIF tests to achieve UL 62368-1 compliance — the full test suite does not need to be repeated. This significantly reduces the cost of achieving both CE (LVD) and UL/NRTL listing. BS EN 62368-1 is the UK adoption for UKCA marking. Again, technically aligned with the EN version, so CE and UKCA technical evidence can typically be shared. The practical benefit: a single test campaign to IEC 62368-1 at an ILAC-accredited laboratory generates test evidence directly applicable to CE marking (EN 62368-1), UKCA (BS EN 62368-1), and — with the ANDIF supplement — UL listing in the US. This is the most cost-effective path for hardware companies targeting multiple markets. ## Learn this properly, not just for one product In-depth courses and books that teach the process — not a one-off answer you'll need to look up again next time. [Browse courses](/courses)[Free Compliance Roadmap](/platform/new) [Prefer to read? Get the book](/books) ## Frequently asked questions ### What products does EN 62368-1 cover? EN 62368-1 covers audio/video equipment, information technology equipment, and communications technology equipment. This includes computers, monitors, servers, printers, networking equipment, televisions, audio amplifiers, mobile phones, tablets, and related accessories. Products that combine IT and AV functions (smart TVs, multimedia systems) are covered. Medical devices, industrial equipment, and large power generation equipment are generally outside scope. ### When did EN 62368-1 replace EN 60950-1? EN 60950-1 and EN 60065 had a transition period ending 20 December 2019, after which EN 62368-1 became the sole harmonised standard for covered products. Products certified against the old standards before the transition can remain on the market, but new products placed on the EU market since December 2019 must comply with EN 62368-1. ### How does EN 62368-1 affect my CE technical file? Your technical file must reference EN 62368-1 in your Declaration of Conformity and include test reports from an accredited laboratory demonstrating compliance with the standard. The file should also include design documentation showing your hazard identification process, safeguard selection rationale, and any design calculations for clearances and creepages. The HBSE approach means the design justification is an important part of the technical evidence. ### Do I need a Notified Body for EN 62368-1 testing? No. EN 62368-1 is used for LVD compliance, which allows Module A self-certification for most products. You can commission testing at any accredited laboratory — it does not need to be an EU Notified Body. The test reports must come from a laboratory accredited by an EA member body for the specific test standards. You then issue the Declaration of Conformity yourself based on those reports. [ Map your product, free Every standard, document, and test that applies — free, no account required. Start mapping](/platform/new)[ Want an expert to handle your compliance for you? One consultant from Krono's compliance team takes your product from requirements to legal sale, with a fixed quote before any work starts. See compliance services](/services) Related guides * [IEC/CENELEC Standards and CE MarkingIEC publishes international electrotechnical standards; CENELEC adopts them as EN standards for EU harmonisation.](/guides/iec-cenelec-standards-ce) * [IEC 62133 Battery SafetyIEC 62133 is the primary international safety standard for secondary lithium-ion and nickel-based battery cells and packs used …](/guides/iec-62133-battery-safety) * [OTA Testing for Wireless DevicesOver-the-air (OTA) testing measures the actual radiated performance of a wireless product in a controlled environment, accounti…](/guides/ota-testing-wireless) * [UL / NRTL Safety ListingUL certification and NRTL safety listing for the US market explained: what UL marks mean, when they're required, how OSHA-autho…](/guides/ul-nrtl-safety-listing) Educational resource only. Verify current requirements with qualified compliance professionals before making regulatory decisions.