09

  • Contents

    ● What is a standard?
    ● Why do we need standards?
    ● Directives and Regulatory bodies
    ● International and National standards
    ● CE marking
  • What is a standard?

    ● A standard is a published specification that establishes a common language, and contains a technical specification or other precise criteria and is designed to be used consistently, as a rule, a guideline, or a definition.
    ● Standards are applied to many materials, products, methods and services. They help to make life simpler, and increase the reliability and the effectiveness of many goods and services we use.
    ● Standards are designed for voluntary use and do not impose any regulations.
    ● However, laws and regulations may refer to certain standards making compliance with them compulsory.


    For example, the format of credit cards: standard number
    ISO/IEC 7810:2003 defines their dimensions.
    Discuss whether it is voluntary to follow credit card dimensions standard or is it defined by law? (Look hint)
    Discuss what will happen if a credit card does not follow the dimension standards?

    Hint: A credit card must follow the standards to be able to use it worldwide, otherwise it will be out of business.
  • Why do we need standards?

    ● Standards protect consumers- Standards make sure that products work together safely and as intended.

    ● Companies are able to sell globally- International Standards contain all the information about differences between individual countries. So that a company loses less time (and money) and is able to produce products that operate in a predictable way anywhere in the world.

    ● No need to reinvent the wheel- Standards help companies to innovate within reasonable technical boundaries. This ensures that new products will plug in and work with what’s already in the market place. That’s why you can buy a Korean TV and it will work in your home anywhere world.

    ● Standards help developing countries- Countries that adopt standards and test products are better able to protect their citizens from dangerous, low-quality products that cause countless accidents. Standards also enable them to attract companies who want to set up production sites and share their technology, which in turn helps local economies to grow.

    ● Standards are good for the environment- Standards regulate and limit the use of chemical products and include recycling considerations. They are a good way to broadly share and promote more environmentally-friendly production processes.
  • What is a Directive?

    ● A Directive is a legislative act that sets out a goal that all EU countries must achieve. However, it is up to the individual countries to devise their own laws on how to reach these goals.

    ● One example is the EU consumer rights Directive, which strengthens rights for consumers across the EU, for example by eliminating hidden charges and costs on the internet, and extending the period under which consumers can withdraw from a sales contract.

    ● Standards are not mandatory but it is possible that a Directive requires products to comply with one or even more standards.


    Examples of Directives

    Example 1: Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE) (Directive 2012/19/EU)
    ● Base on the directive the manufacturers or distributors of such equipment are responsible for the disposal of waste electrical and electronic equipment.
    ● The symbol of WEEE is shown in the following image.

    Example 2: Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS 1) (Directive 2008/35/EC)
    ● RoHS restricts the use of some hazardous materials in the manufacture of various types of electronic and electrical equipment.

    These two Directive are Closely linked and any Electrical and Electronic manufacturer in EU must comply with them.
  • What is a Regulatory body?

    ● A regulatory body is like a professional body but its primary activity is to protect the public and it is not a membership organization. A regulatory body is established based on legal mandate.
    ● Regulatory functions are: imposing requirements, restrictions and conditions, setting standards in relation to any activity, and securing compliance, or enforcement.
    ● Regulatory compliance is an organization's adherence to laws, regulations, guidelines and specifications relevant to its business. Violations of regulatory compliance regulations often result in legal punishment, including federal fines
    ● A "regulation" is a binding legislative act. It must be applied in its entirety across the EU. 

    regulatory bodies
  • ● An International Standard is representative of the needs of many countries, without industry or country bias, because many different voices are taken into account. In the process, each country has only one vote, no matter how small or big it is.

    ● Companies can participate in the development of Standards through their National Committee (NC) in all countries that are a member of the IEC. The NC represents all electrotechnical interests in the country.

    ● Watch this video about the IEC:  📹





    International and National standards

    ● ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical Commission) form the specialized system for worldwide standardization.

    ● National bodies that are members of ISO or IEC participate in the development of International Standards through technical committees established by the respective organization to deal with particular fields of technical activity.

    ● A true international standard is built through what is called the voluntary consensus process. This means that participation in the development and the use of the Standard is voluntary and that all or a majority (at least 75%) of participants agreed with the rules and specifications that are part of the Standard.

  • ● Having independent testing and assessments carried out is the safest way for manufacturers to proceed, whether this is mandatory or not. This helps you to claim a defence of due diligence.

    ● Where a Directive requires products and/or systems to be independently tested, certified, or inspected, this must be done by a "Notified Body" or "Competent Body". This is an organization that has been notified to the European Commission by a Member State.

    ● In the UK, BSI is a Notified Body for most major European Directives.

    ● Watch the following link and take notes about CE Marking and the Roles of Notified Bodies on medical devices:

    ● Watch this video about the CE Marking:  📹




    What is CE Marking?

    ● Many products come under European Directives, and to be placed on the market in the EU, some must bear CE marking - it's a legal requirement. CE marking is the manufacturer's claim that the product meets the essential requirements of all relevant European Directives.

    ● CE marking requirements vary from Directive to Directive, and even within Directives. Third party testing, systems assessment and technical file assessments can be mandatory, but sometimes the manufacturer's unverified claim is all that's asked for.

    ● Beware; as a company if you claim your product complies and it doesn’t, you will be prosecuted.

  • Contents

    ● How long it take to create an international standard?
    ● Different Standards
    ● Grid codes
    ● EMC Standards
    ● Case study: Electronic toys
    ● How to access standards?
  • How long does it take to create an International Standard by IEC?

    ● Depends on how fast an industry needs a standard and how fast the different stakeholders are willing to move and agree amongst themselves.

    ● To get experts from many countries around the world to agree on a set of rules and specifications that will then be valid in many countries, may take longer than when a select group of companies sits together in a country or region of the world. However, the time spent in the preparation of the International Standard is later recuperated because requirements can be built into product designs from the very beginning and those products can be sold to many more markets.

    ● The IEC also has a fast track approach to take on board accepted industry standards and guide them through the consensus-based process. International Standard.
  • ● ANSI: ANSI stands for the American National Standards Institute. The main goal of ANSI is to enhance both the global competitiveness of U.S. business and the US quality of life by promoting and facilitating voluntary consensus standards and conformity assessment systems, etc.

    ● In addition to facilitating the formation of standards in the US, ANSI promotes the use of US standards internationally, advocates US policy and technical positions in international and regional standards organizations and encourages the adoption of international standards as national standards where these meet the needs of the user community. In many instances, US standards are taken forward to ISO and IEC, through ANSI or USNC, where they are adopted in whole or in part as international standards.

    ● Published ANSI Standards prefix with “ANSI”.

    Watch this video  📹

    ● IEEE Standards: IEEE brings together a broad range of individuals and organizations from a wide range of technical and geographic points of origin to facilitate standards development and standards related collaboration. With collaborative thought leaders in more than 160 countries, IEEE promotes innovation, enable the creation and expansion of international markets and help protect health and public safety. Collectively, our work drives the functionality, capabilities and interoperability of a wide range of products and services that transform the way people live work and communicate. The published IEEE standards prefix with IEEE Std.

    Watch this video  📹

    ● British Standard: Most standards published by British Standard Institution (BSI) carry the status of “British Standard”. This indicates that they have been developed using the processes set out in the BSI Guide to Standardization. In the UK the BSI makes them available as British Standards and prefix the published documents with the letters BS.
    Different standards

    ● All standards have the same basic purpose of setting out agreed principles or criteria so that their users can make reliable assumptions about a particular product, service or practice.

    ● However, they can vary in two major respects:
     - The type of agreement
     - The number of people, organizations or countries who were involved in making the agreement.

    ● There are other institutions for standardization in the world e.g. ANSI, IEEE, BSI, etc. in this section these standards organizations will be briefly discussed.


  • ● The grid code sets the obligations of all participants who are part of the transmission system operator. The grid code covers:
    ☞ codes that provide data for planning and developments.
    ☞ minimum technical, design and operational plant criteria
    ☞ operating codes including details for high level operational procedures.

    ● The grid codes define the requirements for:
    ✓ quality of supply
    ✓protection specification
    ✓ generating plant specification
    ✓ metering and monitoring requirements
    ✓ wind power

    ● British grid codes can be accessed by:

    http://www2.nationalgrid.com/uk/industry-information/electricity-codes/grid-code/the-grid-code/
    Grid Codes

    To safeguard the electrical power system, grid codes were written in different countries specifying the technical and operational characteristics of plants owned by the different parties involved in the production, transport and consumption of electric power.

    This is necessary in order to ensure a certain level of quality of supply which must be delivered to the end users

    Grid code is designed to permit the development, maintenance and operation of an efficient, co-ordinated and economical system for the transmission of electricity, to facilitate competition in the generation and supply of electricity and to promote the security and efficiency of the power system as a whole.

    Every country has its own grid code depends on the structure of its power system.

    The Grid Code specifies technical requirements for connection to, and use of, the national electricity transmission system.Compliance with the Grid Code is a requirement.


  • When it comes to defining the specific electromagnetic requirements and test procedures, the IEC develops two types of EMC Product standard:
    ✓ Stand-alone EMC publications that are particularly appropriate for complex products or those that operate in a special environment.
    ✓ EMC clauses in general product standards that contain other clauses, for example mechanical, climatic or functional. This second type is more suitable for products of a simpler nature and is sometimes prepared as an amendment to an existing standard.

    The IEC's Generic EMC standards are for products operating in a particular EMC environment but for which no specific EMC standards yet exist. They are in effect general and somewhat simplified EMC Product standards.

    Generic EMC standards are important building blocks for the development of new product standards. Not only do they provide technical background, they also 'fill the gap' during the time taken to develop a product standard.

    When it comes to defining the specific electromagnetic requirements and test procedures, the IEC develops two types of EMC Product standard:
    ✓Stand-alone EMC publications that are appropriate for complex products.
    ✓EMC clauses in general product standards that contain other clauses, for example mechanical, climatic or functional.
    EMC standards

    Do you ever stop to wonder why you are asked to turn off mobile phones and electronic games in an aircraft or hospital, where there are a host of other electrical and electronic systems on which many people's lives may depend?

    Or is your favourite radio programme obliterated by interference? TV screen covered in 'snow' when someone uses an unsuppressed vacuum cleaner or electric drill nearby? Most of the older generation will still remember such problems, even if today they very largely have been overcome.

    The aim of EMC is to ensure the reliability and safety of all types of systems wherever they are used and exposed to electromagnetic environments. So EMC development is closely linked with that of the whole field of electrical and electronic engineering.

    The subject concerns all of us, not only those in industry who develop, test and manufacture equipment but also those more 'on the receiving end' who rely on, for example, the omnipresent electronic elements in heart pacemakers, ABS vehicle braking systems, laptop computers or air traffic control systems. It is therefore important to consider EMC in depth in standards.

    Some IEC standards called IEC's Basic EMC publications specify the general conditions or rules necessary for achieving electromagnetic compatibility.

    Some Basic publications are normative International Standards while others are non-normative Technical Reports. These standards are contained in the IEC 61000 or CISPR 16 series of publications.



  • It has been mentioned in this standard that in order to comply with this standard, electric toys also have to comply with ISO 8124- Part 1, since it covers hazards other than those arising by the use of electricity.

    More than 20 of other international standards have been used in IEC 62115.

    IEC 62115 scope:
    ✓ Clarifies definitions   ✓ Conditions for the tests   ✓ Selection of test
    ✓ Marking and instructions  ✓ Power Input  ✓ Heating and abnormal operation
    ✓ Electric strength  ✓ Moisture resistance  ✓ Mechanical strength
    ✓ Construction  ✓ Screws and connections  ✓ Resistance to heat and fire
    ✓ Toxicity and similar hazards  ✓ You need to consider different details at each stage of developing a toy:  ✓ Parts/Accessories
    ✓ Fabrication  ✓ Finishing  ✓ Labelling
    ✓ Material

    Based on IEC 62115 standard, different tests need to be performed on a toy throughout the developing process. For example in finishing stage the product needs to be tested for flammability, poisonous elements and sharpness.

    Safety standards for toys for each country around the globe can be found:
    http://www.toy-icti.org/info/toysafetystandards.html

    Product Development – Electronic Toys
    Toys must be constructed so that the risks to persons or surroundings when the toy is used are reduced as far as possible, bearing in mind the normal behaviour of a child.

    If you are developing your product, you need to be aware of the tests performed in industry to meet the requirements for standard IEC 62115 (BS EN 50088) and to apply your own tests as you are developing your product.
    Case Study: Electronic Toys

    Since 1990 the European Community Directive (community law) for Toy Safety has set out the 'essential requirements’ that toys must be manufactured to in order to be legally sold within the European Community.

    As has been mentioned, it is up to each country to devise their own laws on how to reach these goals. In the UK this directive is met through Toys (Safety) Regulations 1995. Toy manufacturers usually achieve this by ensuring their products satisfy all the requirements of ISO 8124 (BS EN 71). All toys must meet these minimum requirements and carry CE marking.

    If the toy is electronic it must comply with the standard IEC 62115-2003 (BS EN 62115-2005).

    In order to compile with this standard, electronic toys also have to comply with ISO 8124 (BS EN 71).

    ISO 8124 is made up of 8 parts. Each part covers different aspect of toys. Briefly those that apply are these:
    * Part 1: Safety Aspects Related to Mechanical and Physical Properties
    * Part 2: Flammability
    * Part 3: Migration of certain elements
    * Part 8: Age determination guidelines

    IEC 62115: Electric toys –Safety
    Examples of toys within the scope of this standard are
    ✓ Constructional sets;
    ✓ Experimental sets;
    ✓ Functional toys (models that have a function similar to an appliance or installation used by adults);
    ✓ Video toys (toys consisting of a screen and activating means, such as a joystick or keyboard. Separate screens having a rated voltage exceeding 24 V are not considered to be a part of the toy)
  • Standards for Electrical Installations

    There are different IEC standards for electrical installation for different voltage level and application.

    A list IEC standards for electrical installations:
    ✓ IEC 60364 Electrical installations of buildings
    ✓ EC 61936 Power installations exceeding 1 kV a.c.
    ✓ IEC 61975 High-voltage direct current (HVDC) installations - System tests
    ✓ IEC 62505 Railway applications – Fixed installations – Particular requirements for a.c. switchgear
    ✓ IEC 61992 Railway applications - Fixed installations - DC switchgear
    ✓ IEC 61363 Electrical installations of ships and mobile and fixed offshore units
    ✓ IEC 60092 Electrical installations on ships
    ✓ IEC 61892 Mobile and fixed offshore units – Electrical installations

    As seen for same subject there are different standards depends on specific application.


    Standards in industry

    Standards are used in almost all the aspects of our daily life,

    Watch these videos:
    IEC: The World of IEC  📹
    ANSI Musical Holiday Standards Animation  📹

    In this part, an overview of standards in different industries is presented.

    Firstly the standards for household electrical appliances will be presented followed by standards for electrical installation for different voltage level and application and standards for nuclear power stations.

    Standards for Household Electrical Applications

    We use electricity in all aspects of our daily life e.g. charging our mobile phones, Watching TV, cooking food with electrical ovens, etc. to ensure the safety of appliances using in our homes there are number of standards for design and testing appliances.

    A list of some IEC standards for Household Electrical Appliances:
    ✓ IEC 60335 Safety of electrical household appliances
    ✓ IEC 60669 Switches for household and similar fixed-electrical installations
    ✓ IEC 60884 Plugs and socket-outlets for household and similar purposes
    ✓ IEC 60906 IEC system of plugs and socket-outlets for household and similar purposes
    ✓ IEC 61008 Residual current operated circuit-breakers without integral overcurrent protection for household and similar uses (RCCBs)
    ✓ IEC 61009 Residual current operated circuit breakers with integral overcurrent protection for household and similar uses (RCBO's)
    ✓IEC TR 61592 Household electrical appliances - Guidelines for consumer panel testing
    ✓IEC 61817 Household portable appliances for cooking, grilling and similar use -
    Methods of measuring performance Household portable appliances for cooking, grilling and similar use - Methods for measuring performance
  • Standards for Nuclear Power Plants

    Nuclear power plants are very important for electrical power generation but they might impose some threats to the public. Following the standards ensures that the risk of accident minimized and it is safe to use them.

    A list IEC standards for Nuclear Power Plants:
    ✓ IEC 61226 Nuclear power plants - Instrumentation and control important to safety - Classification of instrumentation and control functions
    ✓ IEC 61468 Nuclear power plants - In-core instrumentation - Characteristics and test methods of self-powered neutron detectors
    ✓ EC 61497 Nuclear power plants - Electrical interlocks for functions important to safety - Recommendations for design and implementation
    ✓ IEC 61500 Nuclear power plants - Instrumentation and control important to safety - Data communication in systems performing category A functions
    ✓ IEC 61502 Nuclear power plants - Pressurized water reactors - Vibration monitoring of internal structures
    ✓ IEC 61504 Nuclear power plants - Instrumentation and control systems important to safety - Plant-wide radiation monitoring
    ✓ IEC 61226 Nuclear power plants - Instrumentation and control important to safety - Classification of instrumentation and control functions
    ✓ IEC 61468 Nuclear power plants - In-core instrumentation - Characteristics and test methods of self-powered neutron detectors
    ✓ EC 61497 Nuclear power plants - Electrical interlocks for functions important to safety - Recommendations for design and implementation
    ✓ IEC 61500 Nuclear power plants - Instrumentation and control important to safety - Data communication in systems performing category A functions
    ✓ IEC 61502 Nuclear power plants - Pressurized water reactors - Vibration monitoring of internal structures
    ✓ IEC 61504 Nuclear power plants - Instrumentation and control systems important to safety - Plant-wide radiation monitoring