ACOS |
Advisory Committee on Safety |

Definition of terms
Function |
> |
Type of publication |
|---|---|---|
horizontal safety function |
> |
basic safety publication |
group safety function |
> |
group safety publication |
About Safety Functions
The assignment of horizontal safety functions and group safety functions is the responsibility of the Advisory Committee on Safety (ACOS), subject to confirmation by the Standardization Management Board (SMB).
Information on the preparation and use of basic safety publications and group safety publications can be found in
IEC Guide 104.
This guide should be used in conjunction with
ISO/ IEC Guide 51.
Horizontal Safety Functions
Committee | Description | Horizontal safety function | Basic safety Publications |
|---|---|---|---|
Electrical installations and protection against electric shock | Protection against electric shock | ||
System aspects | Functional safety of electrical/ electronic/ programmable electronic systems, (which would encompass safety-related software). | ||
Degrees of protection provided by enclosures | Degrees of protection provided by enclosures against ingress of foreign bodies, water and access to live or moving parts and standardization of accessibility probes. Such degrees should be expressed by the IP classification system. | ||
Electromagnetic compatibility | Electromagnetic compatibility in so far as safety aspects are involved. | ||
Fire hazard testing | Guidance and test methods for assessing fire hazards of electrotechnical equipment, their parts (including components) and electrical insulating materials. Note: Terms and definitions in the field of fire tests from ISO/IEC 13943 are used wherever appropriate. | ||
Electrostatics | To specify methods of test and relevant equipment to evaluate generation, retention and dissipation of electrostatic charges on materials. | ||
Environmental conditions, classification and methods of test | Methods for climatic tests | ||
Safety of electronic equipment within the field of audio/video, information technology and communication technology | Methods of measuring touch current and protective conductor current. This includes methods of measurement of touch current with regard to physiological effects and of protective conductor current for installation purposes. The methods of measurement consider both normal conditions and certain fault conditions. | ||
Insulation co-ordination for low-voltage equipment | Insulation co-ordination for voltages upto and including 1 000 V a.c. and 1 500 V d.c. including dimensioning of clearances, creepage distances. This includes all methods of dielectric testing with respect to insulation co-ordination | ||
Evaluation and qualification of electrical insulating materials and systems | Test methods for resistance to tracking |
Group Safety Functions
Committee | Description | Group Safety Functions | Group safety Publications |
|---|---|---|---|
Low-voltage switchgear and controlgear | Connecting devices, either as separate entities or as integral parts of an end product for connecting external electrical supply conductors, for use with conductor cross-sections above 35 mm2 up to and including 300mm2. | ||
Electric cables | Fire hazard testing of cables comprising :
| ||
Power electronic systems and equipment | Power electronic converter systems and equipment for solar, wind, tidal, wave, fuel cell or similar energy sources | ||
Connecting devices | Connecting devices, either as separate entities or as integral parts of an end product, primarily for connecting, external electrical supply conductors, for use with conductor cross sections of 0.2 mm2 up to and including 35 mm2 but excluding connecting devices for data and signal circuits | ||
Electrical installations and protection against electric shock | Protection against electric shock | ||
Safety of measuring, control and laboratory equipment | Test and measurement equipment, industrial-process control equipment, and laboratory equipment, for use in industry and laboratories, and for educational purposes. | ||
Optical radiation safety and laser equipment | Aspects of laser radiation pertaining to human safety | ||
Transformers, reactors, power supply units, and combinations thereof | Small power transformers and power supply units other than those intended to supply distribution networks, in particular transformers and power supply units intended to allow the application of protective measures against electric shock as defined by TC 64, and for special transformers and special reactors with no limitation of rated power but in certain cases including limitation of voltage. | ||
Safety of electronic equipment within the field of audio/video, information technology and communication technology | Audio, video and similar equipment |



