Electrical standards and approved codes of practice
Listed below are some commonly used electrical standards and approved codes of practice. Additional standards and codes of practice would generally be needed to satisfy a specific application - it is the responsibility of the specifier to select and apply these. You should ensure that the standard you use is the current one.
The standards are organised into a number of topic areas and are ordered with the lowest number at the top of each table:
Electrical and Power
| Standard |
Year |
Description |
| BS EN 61439 (many parts) |
2009 - 2012 |
Low-voltage switchgear and controlgear assemblies |
| BS 5266 Parts 1 to 10 also BS EN 50172 |
1999 - 2008 |
Code of practice for emergency lighting |
| BS 5424 Parts 2 and 3, also IEC 60158 part 3 |
1985 - 1988 |
Specification for low voltage control gear |
| BS EN 60422 |
2008 |
Monitoring and maintenance guide for mineral insulating oils in electrical equipment |
| BS 5839 Parts 1 - 11, also PD6531:2010 |
1988 - 2010 |
Fire detection & alarm systems for buildings |
| BS EN 60079-30-2 |
2007 |
Electric surface heating |
| BS 6423 |
1983 |
Code of practice for maintenance of electrical switchgear and controlgear for voltages up to and including 1 kV |
| BS 6626 |
2010 |
Code of practice for maintenance of electrical switchgear and controlgear for voltages above l kV and up to and including 36 kV |
| BS EN 62305, 4 parts |
2006-2011 |
Code of practice for protection of structures against lightning |
| BS 7375 |
2010 |
Code of practice for distribution of electricity on construction and building sites |
| BS 7430 |
1998 |
Code of practice for earthing |
| BS 7671 |
2008 - 2011 |
Requirements for electrical installations. IEE Wiring Regulations. Seventeenth edition |
| BS 7909 |
2008 - 2011 |
Code of practice for temporary electrical systems for entertainment and related purposes. |
| BS EN 50110 Parts 1 and 2 |
2004 - 2010 |
Operation of electrical installations |
| IEC 60479 Parts 1-4, also PD6519 |
1994-2005 |
Guide to effects of current on human beings and livestock. |
| BS EN 60529 |
1992 |
Specification for degrees of protection provided by enclosures (IP code) |
| BS EN 60947 Parts 1-8 |
2001 - 2011 |
Specification for low voltage switch gear and control gear |
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Electrical Appliances
| Standard |
Year |
Description |
| BS 1362 |
1973 |
Specification for general purpose fuse links for domestic and similar purposes (primarily for use in plugs) |
| BS 1363 Parts 1 -5 |
1995 - 2008 |
13 A plugs, socket-outlets and adaptors. |
| BS EN (IEC) 60309, Parts 1,2, 4 |
1999 - 2007 |
Plugs, socket-outlets and couplers for industrial purposes. |
| BS EN 60320, Parts 1, 2 |
1999 - 2009 |
Appliance couplers for household and similar general purposes. |
| BS EN 60335, Many parts |
|
Specification for safety of household and similar electrical appliances |
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Electromagnetic Compatibility
| Standard |
Year |
Description |
| BS EN 61000-6-3,4 |
2007 - 2011 |
Electromagnetic compatibility. Generic emission standard. |
| BS EN 61000-6-1,2 |
2005 - 2007 |
Electromagnetic compatibility. Generic immunity standard. |
| BS EN (IEC) 60801, Part 2 |
1993 |
Electromagnetic compatibility for industrial-process measurement and control equipment. Electrostatic discharge requirements |
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Flammable Atmospheres
| Standard |
Year |
Description |
| EEMUA 181 |
1995 |
Guide to risk based assessments of in-situ large Ex e & Ex n machines |
| EEMUA 186 |
1997 |
A Practitioners handbook – electrical installation & maintenance in potentially explosive atmospheres |
| BS EN 1127, Parts 1,2 |
2007 -2008 |
Explosive atmospheres. Explosion prevention and protection.
Basic concepts and methodology for mining |
| PD CLC/TR 50404: |
2003 |
Code of practice for avoidance of hazards due to static electricity. |
| BS EN 61241 |
2004, 2005 |
Electrical apparatus with protection by enclosure for use in the presence of combustible dusts. |
| PD CLC/TR 50427 |
2004 |
Assessment of inadvertent ignition of flammable atmospheres by radio-frequency radiation. Guide |
| BS EN ISO 10497 |
2004 |
Testing of valves. Specification for fire type-testing requirements |
| BS 7535 |
1992 |
Guide to the use of electrical apparatus complying with BS 5501 or BS 6941 in the presence of combustible dusts |
| BS EN 60079, many parts |
2004 |
Electrical apparatus for potentially explosive atmospheres. Replaced by BS EN 60079, but remains current. |
| BS EN 60079-6 |
2007 |
Explosive atmospheres. Equipment protected by oil immersion "o" |
| BS EN 60079-2 |
2007 |
Explosive atmospheres. Equipment protected by pressurized enclosures "p" |
| BS EN 60079-5 |
2007 |
Explosive atmospheres. Equipment protected by powder filling "q" |
| BS EN 60079-1 |
2007 |
Explosive atmospheres. Equipment protected by flameproof enclosures 'd' |
| BS EN 60079-7 |
2007 |
Explosive atmospheres. Equipment protected by increased safety 'e' |
| BS EN 60079-11 |
2007 |
Explosive atmospheres. Equipment protected by intrinsic safety 'i' |
| BS EN 60079-22-2 |
2007 |
Explosive atmospheres. Gas detection. Selection, installation, use and maintenance of detectors for flammable gases or oxygen |
| Energy Institute Model Code Of Safe Practice, Part 1 (IP1) |
2010 |
Electrical Safety Code |
| Energy Institute Model Code Of Safe Practice, Part 15 (IP15) |
2005 |
Area classification code for installations handling flammable fluids |
| Energy Institute Model Code Of Safe Practice, Part 21 (IP21) |
2002 |
Guidelines for the control of hazards arising from static electricity |
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Machinery
| Standard |
Year |
Description |
| BS EN ISO 13850 |
2008 |
Safety of machinery. Emergency stop. Principles for design. |
| BS EN 953 |
1997 - 2009 |
Safety of machinery. Guards. General requirements for the design and construction of fixed and movable guards |
| BS EN 13849 |
2008 |
Safety of machinery. Safety related parts of control systems. General principles for design |
| BS EN 982 |
1996 -2008 |
Safety of machinery. Safety requirements for fluid power systems and their components. Hydraulics |
| BS EN 983 |
1996 -2008 |
Safety of machinery. Safety requirements for fluid power systems and their components. Pneumatics |
| BS EN 1037 |
1996 -2008 |
Safety of machinery. Prevention of unexpected start-up |
| BS EN ISO 12100 |
2010 |
Safety of machinery. General principles for design. Risk assessment and risk reduction. |
| BS EN 1088 |
2008 |
Safety of machinery. Interlocking devices associated with guards. Principles for design and selection. |
| PD 5304 |
2005 |
Safe use of machinery |
| BS EN 60204 many parts |
|
Safety of machinery. Electrical equipment of machines. |
| BS EN 61069, Parts 1-8 |
1991-1999 |
Industrial-process measurement and control. Evaluation of system properties for the purpose of system assessment. |
| BS EN 61310, Parts 1,2,3 |
2008 |
Safety of machinery. Indication, marking and actuation. |
| BS EN 61496, 3 parts |
2004 - 2008 |
Safety of machinery. Electro-sensitive protective equipment. |
| PIAC |
1988 |
Printing industry advisory committee - safety at power operated paper cutting guillotines |