Any organization that designs or markets technology products should have December 20, 2020, marked on their calendars. On this date, the established safety standards for AV and IT equipment, IEC 60065 and IEC 60950-1, respectively, will be withdrawn in favor of a new standard, IEC 62368-1. Although the changeover was delayed from June to December, another delay is not expected. Now is the time to engage your team and others who can help ensure that your entire product portfolio is fully transitioned to avoid any negative impact on your business moving forward.
Why the change to IEC 62368-1?
The changeover to IEC 62368-1 is considered necessary in large part by the fact that technology is evolving at a much faster rate than the existing safety standards. As multimedia and other innovative products gain more widespread adoption, the line between traditional AV and IT equipment continues to blur. IEC 62368-1 is therefore meant to provide a single unified standard worldwide that is product-independent. It is also meant to be less prescriptive than the standards it replaces, giving designers more flexibility in ensuring their products' safety.
What do these changes mean for technology innovators?
Once December 20, 2020, arrives, all products sold as new must comply with IEC 62368-1, whether these products are newly designed and going to market for the first time or have existed for years and continue to be manufactured and sold. For existing products, end of life dates should be aligned with December 20, if a plan does not exist to bring them into compliance with the new standard. However, this does not necessarily apply to the shipment of replacement parts or warranty replacements of existing products. In these cases, compliance with IEC 60950-1 and IEC 60065 will remain acceptable.
While IEC 62368-1 is meant to be a universal standard, adoption and enforcement will vary somewhat by country. For instance, it is understood that China will be using their own version of the new standard, and gaining compliance will be different there than in other countries. It should be noted that a very significant proportion of countries in the developed world are all aligned with the adoption of IEC 62368-1 on December 20, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the European Union.
Of course, in Europe, specific compliance documentation must be completed, including a Declaration of Conformity, to attain the CE mark that identifies products as safe according to current standards. This type of work can add up quickly, especially when an organization markets a large number of products because each product will require independent documentation.
UNICOM Engineering can handle regulatory compliance for clients, keeping them focused on innovation
One of the best things a company can do to prepare for the changes IEC 62368-1 is to consult with a trusted partner that thoroughly understands regulatory requirements. As a system integration partner to some of the world's leading technology innovators, UNICOM Engineering fully alleviates the concerns commonly associated with regulatory compliance. Our dedicated team of experts is constantly monitoring changes in the regulatory environment worldwide and what they mean for our customers.
Not only does the UNICOM Engineering Regulatory Compliance team stay abreast of changes, but we also make sure that our customers' products are fully covered and documented correctly so they can continue being marketed and sold anywhere in the world. This includes choosing the proper hardware, shipping to labs for safety testing, and acquiring the necessary certifications for destination countries. Eliminating worries about the complexities of compliance means our customers can spend more time and energy devoted to ongoing product innovation. To learn more about how the UNICOM Engineering team can assist clients to prepare new or existing technology for the fast-approaching safety standard changes, visit our Regulatory Compliance page or schedule a consultation today.