Electrical Safety Testing

Overview of Electrical Safety Testing

Electrical Safety is a crucial requirement for all electronic and electrical devices, considering the safety of its user or any other connected equipment. Safety is evaluated on the basis of various hazards that may occur in a day-to-day activity at the time of using, operating and servicing such electrical devices.

Electrical Safety Testing is carried out for evaluating the potential risks of any electric shock to the customers when using any such electrical product or appliance. It is an important step in the manufacturing process for ensuring that the Electrical products placed on the market comply with the safety regulations and will not harm any of their users.

Electrical Safety Testing is also essential as it ensures safe operating standards for any product that uses electricity, either directly or indirectly. The IEC series of technical standards for the safe performance of electrical equipment as published by the International Electro-technical Commission (IEC).

Electrical and electronic product manufacturers and retailers must sell products that are safe and work properly. To avoid any legal crisis, manufacturers, retailers or suppliers of electrical and electronic products must consider whether they should obtain a third-party certification to scrutinise product samples and screen out significant errors.

Products that Require Electrical Safety Testing

Categories of key products include the following:

• Information Technology Equipment
• Laboratory Measurement, Control and Testing Equipment
• Telecommunication Equipment
• Medical Equipment
• Audio and Video Equipment
• Electrical Machines
• LED Lamps and Luminaries
• Control gear for LED Modules
• Consumer, household and Commercial Appliance Equipment
• Component and Power Supplies
• Switchgear testing
• Electromechanical Relays
• Control Panel testing
• Uninterruptible Power Systems (UPS)

Standards for Electrical Safety Testing

List of Standards for Electrical Safety Testing is as follows:

Benefits of Electrical Safety Testing

Following are the benefits of safety testing for electrical products:

• Verification that the products are conforming to National and International Standards
• Allowing to market of such electrical products across multiple markets worldwide
• Providing peace of mind to the manufacturers, importers and retailers
• Validates the quality of products

Documents required for Electrical Safety Testing

Documents required for conducting the Electrical Safety testing are as follows:

• Identification of testing groups, such as hospitals, any independent service organisation, manufacturer, etc.
• Name of person/persons performing the testing and evaluations
• Identification of equipment/system and accessories tested
• Concluding evaluation
• Tests measurements
• Date, type and results of the visual inspection, measuring methods and measuring equipment, and functional testing
• Date with the signature of the individual who performed the evaluation

Documents required for conducting the Electrical Safety testing at the time of preparation of specification sheets of all the critical components are as follows:

• Components certificate and COA
• Engineering specifications
• Engineering drawings
• Test certifications and reports of components
• Test report for power supplies
• Label material

Procedure for Electrical Safety Testing

Following are the relevant steps to be followed while conducting Electrical Safety Testing:

• Determining the products containing electrical energy or the accessory of electrical device and checking the applicability of the IEC Standard's scope of such device.
• When the IEC Standard is applicable, then determining the harmonised set standard.
• After determining the set standard, determine the class of the device and applicable standards.
• Preparation of isolation diagram based on means of protection and the specification sheets of the critical components. Documents are arranged for the critical components.
• Identifying the risks based on the essential performance in both normal and faulty states. Simplifying the risks identified and tested for safety in Lab as per the IEC Standards.
• The sample selected for the safety testing must be the final product and meet the standard's requirements. Along with this, a test plan must be prepared from the Lab, and all applicable and non-applicable tests must be part of the plan as per the IEC standards.
• Reviewing all symbols, safety signs, switches and units of measure, user and service manual. Checking of all labelling requirements within the collateral and standards.
• As per the essential requirements specific to the products/devices, the test reports are reviewed for the applicability of each clause of the particular and collateral IEC standards.
• Checking the regulatory status of the testing laboratory. After that, test reports are prepared.