IEC 61010 and IEC 62368-1: Which Standard Applies to Your Bench Instrument

IEC 62368-1 replaced the older safety standards for information technology and audio-visual equipment with a hazard-based approach. IEC 61010-1 covers measuring, control and laboratory equipment with a prescriptive approach. Many modern bench instruments sit close to the boundary, and the choice of standard is a decision that has to be justified rather than assumed.

The scope question

The starting point is the intended function as declared by the manufacturer. An instrument whose purpose is measurement or control, used in a laboratory or an industrial process, is normally in the scope of 61010. A device whose primary function is computing or communication is normally in the scope of 62368-1. Products that combine both functions need a justified primary classification.

The philosophical difference

61010 states requirements and the designer meets them. 62368-1 identifies energy sources, classifies the likelihood of injury, and requires safeguards proportionate to that classification. The second approach allows more design freedom and demands more analysis, and a report written for one standard does not translate into the other even where the tests look similar.

Practical consequence

Decide the standard at the concept stage, write the decision down with the reasoning, and test against one standard rather than collecting partial evidence for both. A file that contains some 61010 clauses and some 62368-1 clauses satisfies neither, and the gap is usually discovered during certification rather than before.

Related technical notes

• The Ten Findings That Repeat in IEC 61010 Testing
• Preparing a Sample for IEC 61010 Testing
• Reading and Documenting an IEC 61010 Test Report