IEC 61140-2016 PDF

Full title and description

IEC 61140:2016 — Protection against electric shock — Common aspects for installation and equipment. This basic safety publication defines fundamental principles and coordinated protective measures to protect persons and livestock from electric shock across electrical installations, systems and equipment (frequencies up to 1 000 Hz), without limiting voltage or current magnitude.

Abstract

IEC 61140:2016 (4th edition) consolidates the basic rules for protection against electric shock, describing the fundamental rule of protection for normal and single‑fault conditions, the elements of basic and fault protection, additional protection (including RCD use), and coordination between equipment and installation protective provisions. This edition cancels and replaces the 2001 edition and Amendment 1:2004.

General information

• Status: Published.
• Publication date: 7 January 2016.
• Publisher: International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).
• ICS / categories: 13.260; 29.020; 91.140.50.
• Edition / version: Edition 4.0 (2016).
• Number of pages: 111.

Scope

Specifies basic principles and requirements common to electrical installations, systems and equipment to protect people and livestock against electric shock. It is intended as a basic safety publication to be used by technical committees and standards writers when preparing product- or installation-specific standards; it addresses protection in normal and single‑fault conditions and coordination of protective elements (insulation, barriers, equipotential bonding, disconnection, separation, etc.). Applicable for frequencies up to 1 000 Hz and across voltage ranges unless specific limits are given elsewhere.

Key topics and requirements

• Fundamental rule of protection against electric shock for normal and single‑fault conditions, and provisions for additional protection.
• Elements of basic and fault protection: basic/reinforced insulation, barriers and enclosures, placing out of reach, protective equipotential bonding and protective screening.
• Requirements and coordination for automatic disconnection of supply, protective earthing, and limits for protective‑conductor currents and touch currents.
• Additional protective provisions: double/reinforced insulation, protective separation, SELV/PELV/limited current sources, and use of residual current devices (RCDs) for additional protection (typical IΔn ≤ 30 mA guidance).
• Guidance on the application and coordination of protective measures across equipment classes and installations, plus informative annexes (survey of protective measures, index of terms, notes on differing national practices).

Typical use and users

Used by IEC technical committees and standards authors to establish basic-safety provisions in product and installation standards; referenced by electrical designers, safety and compliance engineers, installers, test laboratories, conformity assessment bodies, facility managers, and regulators when specifying or assessing protective measures against electric shock.

Related standards

Intended to be used alongside and referenced by other standards such as the IEC/EN 60364 series (low‑voltage electrical installations), IEC 60664 (insulation coordination), IEC 60479 (effects of current on humans and livestock), IEC 60990 (measurement of touch and protective‑conductor currents), IEC 60601‑1 (medical equipment safety) and other sector-specific IEC standards.

Keywords

Protection against electric shock; basic protection; fault protection; additional protection; equipotential bonding; protective conductor; touch current; protective‑conductor current; SELV; PELV; residual current device (RCD); automatic disconnection; coordination of protective measures; LVDC; rural electrification.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: IEC 61140:2016 is an IEC basic safety publication specifying common aspects and fundamental rules for protection against electric shock across installations and equipment.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers the fundamental rule of protection (normal and single‑fault), elements and coordination of basic and fault protection, additional protection methods (including RCDs), limits and measures for protective conductor and touch currents, and guidance for applying these provisions in equipment and installations.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Standards committees and writers, electrical and safety engineers, installers, test labs and conformity assessment bodies, facility safety managers, and regulators use it to ensure consistent protective measures against electric shock.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: IEC 61140:2016 is the current 4th edition published in January 2016; it cancels and replaces the 2001 edition and Amendment 1:2004. The IEC record shows a stability/review date indicating the publication is to remain unchanged until 2028 (subject to reconfirmation, withdrawal, revision or amendment by that date).

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: It is a basic safety publication (IEC Guide 104) used as a reference across many IEC product and installation standards (for example IEC/EN 60364 and other sector standards) rather than a sequential series of parts.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Protection against electric shock, basic/fault/additional protection, equipotential bonding, RCD, touch current, protective conductor current, SELV/PELV, automatic disconnection, coordination of protective measures.