Information Technology Equipment – New standards become required in EU, Canada and U.S. in early 2013
EN60950-1:2006 + A11:2009 + A1:2010 + A12:2011
The Commission of the European Union (EU) recently published an updated list of standards with regard to compliance with the essential requirements of its Directive 2001/95/EC on general product safety and 2006/95/EC Low Voltage Directive. Of particular interest to information technology equipment manufacturers are the updated harmonized standards EN 60950-1:2006 + A11:2009 + A1:2010 + A12:2011.
There are a number of key dates to note for compliance of products targeting the EU market.
| Date of cessation of presumption of conformity of superseded standard (i.e., new EN standard below becomes mandatory) | Harmonized standards |
| January 24, 2013 | EN 60950-1:2006/A11:2009 + A12:2011 |
| March 1, 2013 | EN 60950-1:2006/ A11:2009 + A1:2010 + A12:2011 |
Amendment A1:2010 is an amendment to the base EN60950-1:2006 which is harmonized with IEC60950-1:2005 Standard. It includes specific national differences such as power supply cord requirements for Denmark, insulation requirements for telecommunication network for Norway and Sweden.
Amendment A12:2011 is the amendment that adds protection from excessive sound pressure requirements for portable music players.
CSA/UL 60950-1 2nd Ed revised December 19, 2011
As in the past, in an effort to align with the EU and continue to support high tech manufacturers’ efforts to better plan for and coordinate their global certifications, beginning March 1, 2013, for UL/C-UL certification UL will certify new products to CSA/UL 60950-1 Second Edition, revised December 19, 2011. The revised standard includes updates from Amendment 1:2010 of IEC60950-1 2nd Ed with additional national differences. This standard also will be used for currently certified products when significant changes are made to the product. For details on the changes please see the UL/IEC60950-1 2nd Ed Am. 1 Impact Analysis.
UL recommends manufacturers update their certifications or type approval documentation associated with IEC-60950-1:2005/A1:2009; EN 60950-1, 2006/ A11:2009 + A1:2010 + A12:2011; and CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 60950-1-07/UL60950-1 dated December 19, 2011, as applicable.
To avoid certification delays or challenges to product declarations, UL can provide guidance to manufacturers throughout the process of updating the certifications or type approval documentation. As the effective dates of the updates are fast approaching, manufacturers should review the impact brought about by the updated standards early to ensure that their products remain compliant for continued global market access. This may affect the validity of you CE marking and your Regional European UL Marks such as UL-EU, ENEC, D and GS. UL is dedicated to helping you identify any required changes or testing of modified products needed to comply with the revised standards.
For more information, please contact Kevin Ravo, director for technology, standards and regulations, UL global high-tech industry.
THESE UPDATES ARE FOR GENERAL INFORMATION ONLY AND ARE NOT INTENDED TO CONVEY LEGAL OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL ADVICE. USE OF THE INFORMATION IN THESE UPDATES IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. PLEASE CONTACT LOCAL COUNSEL FOR LEGAL ADVICE REGARDING THE REGULATIONS OR DIRECTIVES HEREIN.
