1. New Safety Standard for High-Tech Products Accommodates Future Designs and Technologies Underwriters Laboratories

2. Introduction On Jan. 10, 2010, IEC 62368-1 Ed 1.0: Audio/Video, Information and Communication Technology Equipment – Safety Requirements, was approved as a Final Draft International Standard (108/325/FDIS) and has since been published as an International Standard. This development is due to nearly eight years of hard work and dedication by IEC TC108, the IEC technical committee responsible for standards for safety of electronic equipment within the field of A/V, information technology and communication technology.

3. The Origins of IEC 62368-1 The explosion of multimedia technology over the past decade is erasing distinctions between products, and allowing for further integration Consumer electronics and IT equipment have become interconnected and interchangeable The committee management of IEC TC74 and TC92 recognized that it was no longer necessary to use two different safety standards to certify products

4. Formation of IEC TC108 IEC TC74 and TC92 concluded that a new standard was needed to replace IEC 60065 for information technology equipment and IEC 60950-1 for A/V equipment. The two committees combined to form IEC TC108, Safety of Electronic Equipment within the field of A/V, Information Technology and Communications Technology

5. Committee Objectives Cover a broad range of products Be technologically independent and stable Formally address use by children Clearly identify the hazard being addressed Be performance-based, but allow proven prescriptive construction options, as warranted Be a type test standard, but not a simple merger of IEV 60065 and IEC 60950 Be useful to designers, but suitable to assess conformance by suppliers, purchasers and certifiers Allow for minimization of national/regional differences

6. Recent History First draft of new Standard, submitted in 2007 for formal vote, did not pass because of National Committee concerns A second draft was approved by narrow margin and published as an International Standard in Q1 2010. Formal implementation scheduled for 2015 to allow sufficient time for transition

7. The Characteristics of IEC 62368-1 New terminology: differentiates it from the traditional standards of safety for other forms of electronic equipment Hazard-Based Criteria: classifies energy sources, prescribes safeguards against them and provides guidance on the application of and requirements for those safeguards The resulting requirements are either prescriptive performance-based requirements (preferred) or prescriptive construction-based requirements (alternate)

8. Implementation The five-year transition allows the industry time to become familiar with the new Standard and even develop a second edition that is more mature. This will enable manufacturers, suppliers, test houses, certifiers and safety engineers to learn and apply the new requirements, and deploy the appropriate test protocols and documentation.

9. Underwriters Laboratories’ Engagement UL has played a significant role in the development of IEC 62368-1 from the beginning UL and its customers are developing informational and educational tools and services in support of the transition to the new Standard Built to accommodate new designs and innovations, IEC 62368-1 is the future of the high-tech industry and UL is confident that implementation of the new Standard will benefit manufacturers and their bottom lines