⚡ Safety of electrical equipment for measurement, control and laboratory use — electric shock, mechanical hazards, fire, temperature, fluids, radiation, gases and interlocks in normal and single fault conditions; PN-EN 61010-1

Electronics and EMC PN-EN 61010-1

Overview

WHAT THE STANDARD COVERS. EN 61010-1:2010 adopts IEC 61010-1:2010 without modification — part 1 (general requirements) of the series "Safety requirements for electrical equipment for measurement, control, and laboratory use"; according to the IEC foreword, the standard has the status of a group safety publication in accordance with IEC Guide 104. Structure (table of contents): 1 — scope and object (equipment included and excluded, computing equipment, aspects included and excluded, verification, normal and extended environmental conditions); 4 — tests (sequence, reference conditions, tests in single fault condition and their duration); 5 — marking and documentation (including durability of markings); 6 — protection against electric shock (determination of accessible parts, limit values in normal and single fault conditions, means of protection, protective bonding, insulation requirements for mains circuits of overvoltage category II up to 300 V and for secondary circuits, the procedure for voltage tests with humidity preconditioning, mains supply cords and disconnection from the supply source); 7 — mechanical hazards (sharp edges, moving parts, limitation of force and pressure, gaps, stability, lifting and carrying, wall mounting, expelled parts); 8 — resistance to mechanical stresses (static and impact test of the enclosure, drop test); 9 — protection against the spread of fire (among others, limited-energy circuit, flammable liquids, overcurrent protection); 10 — temperature limits and resistance to heat (surfaces, windings, ball-pressure test); 11 — fluids (cleaning, spillage, overflow, electrolyte, pressure and leakage); 12 — radiation, including laser radiation, and sonic and ultrasonic pressure; 13 — liberated gases and substances, explosion and implosion; 14 — components; 15 — interlocks; 16 — hazards resulting from application (reasonably foreseeable misuse, ergonomics); 17 — risk assessment. Annexes: A — measuring circuits for touch current, B — standard test fingers, C — measurement of clearances and creepage distances, D — parts between which insulation requirements are specified, E — reduction of the pollution degree, F — routine tests, G — leakage and rupture from fluids under pressure, H — qualification of conformal coatings, I — line-to-neutral voltages, J — risk assessment, K — insulation requirements not covered by point 6.7. The "Scope" field of the PKN card of PN-EN 61010-1:2011 (Polish version) is in English: "Specifies general safety requirements for electrical equipment intended for professional, industrial process and educational use, any of which may incorporate computing devices, when used under the normal and the extended environmental conditions. Definitions of 40 terms applied in the standard are given".

EDITIONS. IEC 61010-1:2010 (committee IEC TC 66 "Safety of measuring, control and laboratory equipment") is the third edition, which replaced the second edition of 2001; EN 61010-1:2010 replaced EN 61010-1:2001 (dop 2011-07-01, dow 2013-10-01). Changes according to the foreword: the scope was extended to all locations of use (both professional and non-professional versions of equipment); the requirements for testing and measuring circuits (including the whole former clause 16) were moved to IEC 61010-2-030; the insulation requirements (6.7) were rewritten — requirements for solid insulation and thin-film insulation were added, only mains circuits of overvoltage category II up to 300 V and secondary circuits remained in 6.7, and the other circuits were moved to the new Annex K; requirements for mechanical hazards were added (clause 7); the surface temperature limits (clause 10) were aligned with EN 563; the requirements for radiation (clause 12) distinguish intended and unintended emission; clause 16 (misuse, ergonomics), clause 17 and Annex J (risk assessment), and Annexes E, H and I were added. The IEC copy contains the corrigenda of May 2011 and October 2013 and interpretation sheet 1 of February 2013. Amendment EN 61010-1:2010/A1:2019 (text of IEC 61010-1:2010/AMD1:2016 with CENELEC common modifications; dop 2019-08-22, dow 2022-02-22), according to the European foreword (read in the Slovenian SIST edition; our translation): the scope was supplemented with the standard paragraph of group safety publications without changing the range of equipment; symbols are the preferred way of marking warnings; the limit voltages of accessible parts in 6.3 were restored to the values of the second edition; in case of doubt, the dielectric strength of clearances in mains circuits of categories III and IV is tested; the 500 VA power requirement for a.c. voltage test equipment was replaced by a requirement to maintain the test voltage throughout the test (common modification to 6.8.3.1: within ±5 % of the set value); temperature measurements (10.4.1) are made at the least favourable ambient temperature within the rated range, if this is a less favourable condition; point 11.6 now concerns equipment with a rated degree of protection (IP code) and was rewritten; the hydraulic test pressures (11.7.2), the requirements for optical radiation and for circuits limiting transient overvoltages (14.8) were changed; the scratch resistance test was removed from Annex H. In the iTeh catalogue (read on 27.10.2026) EN 61010-1:2010 and EN 61010-1:2010/A1:2019 have the status "Published" and the stage "9093 – Decision to confirm – Review Enquiry", and the draft amendment EN 61010-1:2010/FprA2:2026 — "Not Published", stage "5060 – Voting results sent to TC, SR – Formal Approval".

STATUS (PKN card as of 27.10.2026). The card of PN-EN 61010-1:2011 (Polish version) has no withdrawal label: publication 03-02-2015, 164 pages, Electronics Sector, KT 69 Safety of Measuring, Control and Laboratory Equipment, "Adopts: EN 61010-1:2010 [IDT], IEC 61010-1:2010 [IDT]", "Directive: 2014/35/EU", "Replaces: PN-EN 61010-1:2004, PN-EN 61010-1:1999, PN-EN 61010-1:1999/A2:1999" (Polish versions), ICS 19.080 and 71.040.10; additional elements: PN-EN 61010-1:2011/A1:2019-04 and PN-EN 61010-1:2011/AC:2019-06 (Polish versions). PKN search, search term "61010-1" (27.10.2026): PN-EN 61010-1:2011 and amendment A1:2019-04 exist in Polish and English versions (A1 adopts EN 61010-1:2010/A1:2019 and IEC 61010-1:2010/AMD1:2016 [MOD]); the 1999, 2002 and 2004 editions are withdrawn.

REGULATIONS. According to the European foreword of amendment A1:2019, the document was prepared under a mandate given by the European Commission and EFTA and supports essential requirements of EU Directive(s); the relationship is described in Annex ZZ, which we have not read. The PKN card of PN-EN 61010-1:2011 gives "Directive: 2014/35/EU" for the standard; we have not checked whether the standard is in the list of harmonised standards.

HOW MANY LABORATORIES AND IN WHAT FORM (copy of the accreditation scope database refreshed from the production server on 27.10.2026 and current PCA documents downloaded on that day). Number 61010-1 appears in 34 records at 7 Polish laboratories: AB 904 (28) and AB 003, AB 012, AB 044, AB 045, AB 121 and AB 1340 (1 each). All 7 current PCA documents contain the standard; no entry is suspended. At AB 904 a common entry of reference documents covers 28 characteristics on three pages of the scope at PCA (in the database copy each characteristic is a separate record), and in the other laboratories there is one collective entry "characteristics and properties for the purposes of assessing safety of use" with a list of editions in the documents column — which is why the number of occurrences of the number in PCA documents does not correspond to the number of records. Forms: "PN-EN 61010-1" without the year (AB 012, flexible scope "E"); "PN-EN 61010-1:2011" with "PN-EN 61010-1:2011/A1:2019-04" (AB 904) and with "/AC:2019-06" and a full list of EN and IEC with corrigenda (AB 003); "PN-EN 61010-1:2011+A1:2019-04" with EN and IEC (AB 044 — "excluding p. 12"; AB 121; AB 1340) and "PN-EN 61010-1:2011+ A1:2019-04*" excluding points 11.6, 11.7, 12 and 13 (AB 045). Together with part 1, laboratories give parts 2: 61010-2-010 (AB 003, AB 045), 61010-2-011, 61010-2-020 and 61010-2-032 (AB 003), PN-EN IEC 61010-2-101:2023-04 with A11:2023-08 (AB 904). The "Laboratories" tab ("PN-EN 61010-1") shows 15 laboratories: these 7 Polish ones and 8 Czech ones (tab query on labcoda.pl, 27.10.2026).

WHAT THE LABORATORIES TEST (database copy and PCA documents). AB 003 — measuring, control and laboratory equipment: durability of markings, power up to 60 kW, voltage up to 10 kV, current up to 100 A, protection against access to live parts, insulation resistance up to 100 MΩ at 500 V, dielectric strength of insulation up to 6 kV, resistance of the protective circuit with a current of up to 25 A, forces up to 500 N, temperature up to 800 °C, resistance to high temperature 125 °C and to glow-wire 950 °C, leakage current up to 10 mA, resistance to humidity 93 ± 2 % at (20–30) °C, clearances 150 mm, linear dimension up to 2 m, stability up to 45°. AB 904 (branch "Poznań Medical") — 28 characteristics, among others voltage (0.001–900) V, current (0.001–30) A, power (0.001–9000.0) W and VA, frequency up to 300 000 Hz, temperature of parts (–20–100) °C and of windings (resistance method), accessibility (test fingers and test pins), residual energy and capacitive discharge, earth continuity with a current of min. 25 A (0.001–2.100) Ω and tightening test (0–11.5) N·m, clearances, dielectric strength of insulation (0.5–4.0) kV, mains supply cords (dimensions up to 300 mm, force up to 500 N, torque up to 0.35 N·m), limitation of force and pressure up to 500 N, stability (0–30)° and (0.1–800) N, strength of handles, mountings and wall mounting, static, impact and drop tests, limited-energy circuit, resistance to heat and ball-pressure test, fluids (cleaning and decontamination, spillage, overflow), protection against overheating, spread of fire, durability of markings. AB 044 (excluding clause 12), AB 121 (also radiation, including microwave and laser radiation, and sound pressure) and AB 1340 — lists of characteristics by clauses of the standard; AB 012 and AB 045 — collective entry for the assessment of safety of use.

WHERE A SEEMINGLY CORRECT RESULT IS EASY TO GET. First — part 1 and parts 2: in the scopes the standard stands together with parts 2 (2-010, 2-011, 2-020, 2-032, 2-101), and since the 2010 edition testing and measuring circuits have a separate part, IEC 61010-2-030 (foreword); a result according to part 1 alone does not say whether the equipment meets the part 2 relevant to it. Second — exclusions: AB 044 does not have clause 12 (radiation) in its scope, and AB 045 — points 11.6, 11.7 and clauses 12 and 13; a test report from such a laboratory does not cover these hazards. Third — edition: with or without A1:2019. The amendment restored different limit voltages of accessible parts (6.3), changed the condition for temperature measurement (10.4.1), point 11.6, the hydraulic test pressures (11.7.2) and the requirements for circuits limiting overvoltages (14.8); the date of withdrawal of national standards conflicting with A1 (dow) is 2022-02-22. Fourth — the voltage test: after A1 the equipment must maintain the test voltage within ±5 % throughout the test (6.8.3.1); a power of 500 VA alone is no longer sufficient. Fifth — two states of the equipment: the limit values for accessible parts are determined separately for normal conditions (6.3.1) and single fault conditions (6.3.2), and fault tests have their own rules and duration (4.4).

WHAT WE DO NOT GIVE. We read the tables of contents, the EN and IEC forewords to the 2010 edition, the European foreword to A1:2019 (Slovenian version) and the beginning of Annex ZA. We do not give the text of the scope (1.1–1.4) beyond the "Scope" field of the PKN card, limit values of voltages, currents and temperatures, clearances, test voltages, the course of the tests or requirements for components.

Method principle

The equipment is tested in reference conditions, in normal condition and in single fault condition (EN 61010-1:2010, clause 4): marking and documentation are checked, accessible parts are determined with test fingers and voltages, touch currents and charges are compared with limit values, clearances are measured and voltage tests are carried out after humidity preconditioning, as well as mechanical tests (stability, forces, impacts, drop), thermal tests (temperatures, windings, ball pressure), fire tests and tests with fluids, radiation and interlocks (clauses 5–15, Annexes A–C).

Applications

• Electrical equipment for measurement, control and laboratory use — general safety requirements, professional and non-professional versions (EN 61010-1:2010, foreword)
• Assessment of safety of use together with parts 2 of the 61010 series (e.g. 2-010, 2-011, 2-020, 2-032, 2-101) — in accreditation scopes
• Tests in normal and single fault conditions, routine tests (Annex F), risk assessment (clause 17, Annex J)
• In accreditation scopes: 7 Polish laboratories; voltages up to 10 kV, dielectric strength up to 6 kV, protective circuit with a current of up to 25 A, temperatures up to 800 °C

Key parameters

Standard

Standard number

PN-EN 61010-1:2011 (wersja polska i wersja angielska; wprowadza EN 61010-1:2010 i IEC 61010-1:2010 [IDT]) ze zmianą PN-EN 61010-1:2011/A1:2019-04 i poprawką /AC:2019-06

Title (PL)

Wymagania bezpieczeństwa dotyczące elektrycznych przyrządów pomiarowych, automatyki i urządzeń laboratoryjnych — Część 1: Wymagania ogólne

Title (EN)

Safety requirements for electrical equipment for measurement, control, and laboratory use — Part 1: General requirements

Step-by-step procedure

1. Scope and documentation

   Establishing whether the equipment falls within the scope of part 1 and which part 2 applies to it; checking marking and documentation (clauses 1, 5).

2. Reference conditions

   Environmental conditions and state of the equipment according to 4.3; test sequence according to 4.2.

3. Protection against electric shock

   Accessible parts (test fingers), limit values in normal and single fault conditions, protective bonding, clearances, voltage tests after humidity preconditioning (clause 6). WE DO NOT GIVE the values.

4. Other hazards

   Mechanical, resistance to stresses, fire, temperatures and heat, fluids, radiation, gases, explosion and implosion, components, interlocks (clauses 7–15). WE DO NOT GIVE the course.

5. Faults and result

   Tests in single fault conditions and compliance after them (4.4), risk assessment (clause 17); edition of the standard with or without A1 in the test report. PN-EN 61010-1:2011 — current together with A1:2019-04 and AC:2019-06 (PKN card as of 27.10.2026).

Required equipment and apparatus

Health and safety (OHS)

• TECHNICAL NOTE: the accreditation scope may exclude part of the standard (e.g. clause 12 or points 11.6, 11.7 and clauses 12–13) — the test report then does not cover these hazards
• TECHNICAL NOTE: part 1 is applied together with the relevant part 2 of the 61010 series; since 2010 testing and measuring circuits have part 2-030

Frequently asked questions