IEC SRD 63408:2024

Overview

IEC SRD 63408:2024 - "Safety aspects – Guidelines for adult AAL care recipients in standards and other specifications" is an IEC Systems Reference Deliverable that helps experts identify and evaluate hazards when developing or revising standards, specifications and similar publications for products and services likely to contact adult AAL (active assisted living) care recipients. The document focuses on preventing bodily harm even when products are not explicitly designed for AAL users. It provides a risk‑based framework, hazard taxonomy and guidance on safeguards to inform standardization work and practical safety decision‑making.

Key topics and technical focus

• Scope and definitions: clear definitions for terms such as AAL care recipient, risk, hazard, ADL/IADL and AAL levels of assistance (Level 0–3) to support consistent use in standards.
• General safety approach: guidance on considering the full range of physical, cognitive and social abilities when assessing product or service interactions with adult AAL users.
• Risk assessment principles: structured process for identifying risks, evaluating likelihood and severity, and selecting risk control measures (prevention, reduction, mitigation).
• Hazard categories: comprehensive list of potential hazards relevant to adult AAL care recipients, including:
  • Fall hazards
  • Bodily injury, suffocation and strangulation
  • Fire and thermal hazards
  • Drowning and chemical hazards
  • Electric shock and radiation
  • Noise (sound pressure), biological, explosion/flash and exertion hazards
• Safeguards and mitigation: emphasis on the adequacy of safeguards across multiple layers:
  • Product safeguards
  • Installation safeguards
  • Personal and behavioural safeguards
  • Instructional safeguards
• Use‑case driven: aligns safety considerations with AAL use cases (see IEC TS 63134) and the Active Assisted Living vocabulary (IEC 60050‑871).

Practical applications

• Incorporate hazard identification and protective measures into standards, technical specifications and product requirements.
• Support risk‑based design reviews for consumer and building products that AAL recipients may use or contact.
• Inform safety audits, conformity assessment and inspection checklists for homes, care environments and public spaces.
• Guide architects, interior designers and installers to mitigate environmental and installation risks for AAL users.
• Aid product designers and manufacturers in documenting safety rationale where no dedicated AAL standard exists.

Who should use this standard

• Standards developers and committee experts
• Product designers and manufacturers
• Safety inspectors and auditors
• Architects and interior home designers
• Installers, integrators and facility managers
• Regulators and conformity assessment bodies

Related standards

• IEC 60050‑871 (International Electrotechnical Vocabulary - AAL)
• IEC TS 63134 (Active assisted living use cases)

IEC SRD 63408:2024 is a practical reference for embedding adult AAL safety into standards, design and inspection practices through robust hazard identification and layered safeguards.