IEC 60695-4:2021

Overview

IEC 60695-4:2021 - Fire hazard testing, Part 4 - provides the standardized terminology concerning fire tests for electrotechnical products. This fifth edition (2021) is a technical revision that updates the vocabulary used across the IEC 60695 series and related safety publications. It is a basic safety publication (per IEC Guide 104 and ISO/IEC Guide 51) intended primarily for use by technical committees and standards developers to ensure consistent use of terms in fire-test methods, safety requirements and guidance documents.

Key Topics

• Scope and purpose: Defines terms and definitions applicable to fire tests for electrical, electronic and electrotechnical products. Definitions apply when referenced by other IEC or product standards.
• Edition changes: Removes non-electrotechnical terms identical to ISO 13943:2017 and retains or includes electrotechnical terms from ISO 13943 for user convenience.
• Representative terms included:
  • abnormal heat, incident heat flux, extent of combustion
  • arc resistance, arc tracking, tracking resistance
  • flameproof enclosure, flashover, flame stabilizer
  • intrinsically safe circuit/system, self‑heating
  • qualitative vs. quantitative fire tests, end product fire test, confirmatory test
  • definitions for “item”, “test specimen”, “insignificant mass”, and others
• Normative references: Cross-references to ISO 13943, IEC 60050 (Electropedia), IEC Guide 104 and ISO/IEC Guide 51.

Applications

Who uses IEC 60695-4:2021 and why:

• Standards developers and IEC technical committees - to harmonize terminology when drafting fire-safety standards and test methods.
• Test laboratories and certification bodies - to ensure consistent interpretation of test reports and requirements.
• Manufacturers and design engineers - to align product specifications and safety assessments with internationally accepted vocabulary for fire tests.
• Regulators and safety assessors - to reference clear, standardized definitions in compliance documentation and regulations. Practical benefits include improved clarity in test specifications, reduced ambiguity in compliance criteria, and smoother cross-referencing between electrotechnical standards.

Related standards

• IEC 60695 series (Parts 1, 2, 5–11 covering guidance, hot-wire tests, smoke, toxicity, heat release, etc.)
• ISO 13943:2017 - Fire safety - Vocabulary (source for many terms)
• IEC Guide 104 and ISO/IEC Guide 51 - guidance on safety publications
• IEC 60050 (Electropedia) - Electrotechnical vocabulary database

IEC 60695-4:2021 is essential for anyone involved in writing, applying or interpreting fire-test standards for electrical and electronic products, providing the common language needed for consistent safety assessment and regulatory compliance.