IEC 62474:2018

Overview

IEC 62474:2018 - Material declaration for products of and for the electrotechnical industry defines the procedure, required content and format for material declarations used across the electrotechnical supply chain. The standard helps suppliers and downstream manufacturers exchange consistent material- and substance-related data needed to assess products against substance restriction compliance requirements and to support environmentally conscious design across product life‑cycle phases. Process chemicals and emissions during product use are explicitly out of scope. An associated, maintained database and the official XML schema are available at http://std.iec.ch/iec62474.

Key topics and requirements

• Declaration scope and structure: Specifies base (mandatory) and additional (optional or conditionally mandatory) data elements covering business information, product and product‑part details, materials, and substances.
• Declarable substances and material classes: Lists in the IEC 62474 database include declarable substance groups (DSGs), declarable substances (DSs), reference substances and defined material classes.
• Reporting thresholds and criteria: Defines criteria, thresholds and reportable applications for DSs/DSGs and thresholds for material classes to determine when reporting is required.
• Composition and compliance declarations: Data models and required fields for composition declarations and declarations intended to demonstrate compliance with restriction rules.
• Data format and exchange: The officially accepted exchange format is XML. The standard includes an XML schema and developer guidance to enable consistent data exchange (one‑way and two‑way).
• Database maintenance and governance: Procedures and roles (validation team VT 62474) for maintaining the IEC 62474 database, exemption lists and data format, including list identity/versioning and authority metadata so the format can be used beyond the IEC database.
• Edition changes (2018): Technical revision from the 2012 edition - improved material class/exemption capabilities, clearer mandatory/optional information diagrams, added definitions and conformance minimums, aligned terminology, and annex management moved under VT 62474.

Applications and users

IEC 62474:2018 is practical for:

• Manufacturers and suppliers in the electrotechnical sector preparing and exchanging material declarations.
• Downstream manufacturers who need reliable data to assess supplier parts against substance-restriction regimes.
• Ecodesign and product‑lifecycle teams integrating material/substance data into design decisions.
• Compliance, procurement and supply‑chain managers responsible for sourcing, reporting and regulatory readiness.

Related standards (context)

IEC 62474 provides interoperable material‑declaration infrastructure for industry compliance and EHS reporting. It is commonly used alongside regional and national substance‑restriction regulations and organizational EHS reporting programs. For authoritative database access and XML resources, see http://std.iec.ch/iec62474.