IEC 60695-4:2021

Fire hazard testing - Part 4: Terminology concerning fire tests for electrotechnical products

IEC 60695-4:2021

Name:IEC 60695-4:2021   Standard name:Fire hazard testing - Part 4: Terminology concerning fire tests for electrotechnical products
Standard number:IEC 60695-4:2021   language:English language
Release Date:22-Jun-2021   technical committee:TC 89 - Fire hazard testing
Drafting committee:WG 12 - TC 89/WG 12   ICS number:01.040.13 - Environment. Health protection. Safety (Vocabularies)

IEC 60695-4
Edition 5.0 2021-06
REDLINE VERSION
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
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Fire hazard testing –
Part 4: Terminology concerning fire tests for electrotechnical products




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IEC 60695-4
Edition 5.0 2021-06
REDLINE VERSION
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
colour
inside
HORIZONTAL PUBLICATION
Fire hazard testing –
Part 4: Terminology concerning fire tests for electrotechnical products

INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
ICS 01.040.13; 29.020 ISBN 978-2-8322-9941-8

– 2 – IEC 60695-4:2021 RLV © IEC 2021
CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 3
1 Scope . 6
2 Normative references . 6
3 Terms and definitions . 6
3.1 Use of the term “item” . 6
3.2 Other terms and definitions . 6

INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
FIRE HAZARD TESTING –
Part 4: Terminology concerning fire tests
for electrotechnical products
FOREWORD
1) The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising
all national electrotechnical committees (IEC National Committees). The object of IEC is to promote
international co-operation on all questions concerning standardization in the electrical and electronic fields. To
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8) Attention is drawn to the Normative references cited in this publication. Use of the referenced publications is
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This redline version of the official IEC Standard allows the user to identify the changes made to
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– 4 – IEC 60695-4:2021 RLV © IEC 2021
International Standard IEC 60695-4 has been prepared by of IEC technical committee 89: Fire
hazard testing.
This fifth edition cancels and replaces the fourth edition published in 2012. This edition
constitutes a technical revision.
This edition includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous
edition:
a) The terms and definitions that are not specifically electrotechnical and that are either
identical or equivalent to those in ISO 13943:2017 have been deleted.
b) The terms and definitions that are specifically electrotechnical and that are in
ISO 13943:2017 have been included for the convenience of the user.
The text of this International Standard is based on the following documents:
Draft Report on voting
89/1462/CDV 89/1502/RVC
Full information on the voting for its approval can be found in the report on voting indicated in
the above table.
The language used for the development of this International Standard is English.
It has the status of a basic safety publication in accordance with IEC Guide 104 and
ISO/IEC Guide 51.
A list of all the parts in the IEC 60695 series, under the general title Fire hazard testing, can
be found on the IEC website.
The following introductory elements represent a series of publications:
Part 1: Guidance for assessing the fire hazard of electrotechnical products
Part 2: Glowing/hot-wire based test methods
Part 4: Terminology concerning fire tests for electrotechnical products
Part 5: Corrosion damage effects of fire effluent
Part 6: Smoke obscuration
Part 7: Toxicity of fire effluent
Part 8: Heat release
Part 9: Surface spread of flame
Part 10: Abnormal heat
Part 11: Test flames
This document was drafted in accordance with ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2, and developed in
accordance with ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1 and ISO/IEC Directives, IEC Supplement,
available at /members_experts/refdocs. The main document types developed by
IEC are described in greater detail at /standardsdev/publications.

The committee has decided that the contents of this document will remain unchanged until the
stability date indicated on the IEC website under webstore.iec.ch in the data related to the
specific document. At this date, the document will be
• reconfirmed,
• withdrawn,
• replaced by a revised edition, or
• amended.
IMPORTANT – The 'colour inside' logo on the cover page of this publication indicates that it
contains colours which are considered to be useful for the correct understanding of its
contents. Users should therefore print this document using a colour printer.

– 6 – IEC 60695-4:2021 RLV © IEC 2021
FIRE HAZARD TESTING –
Part 4: Terminology concerning fire tests
for electrotechnical products
1 Scope
The terms and definitions in this part of IEC 60695 are applicable to fire tests for
electrotechnical products.
This basic safety publication is focusing on safety guidance is primarily intended for use by
technical committees in the preparation of standards safety publications in accordance with
the principles laid down in IEC Guide 104 and ISO/IEC Guide 51.
One of the responsibilities of a technical committee is, wherever applicable, to make use of
basic safety publications in the preparation of its publications. The requirements, test
methods or test conditions of this basic safety publication will not apply unless specifically
referred to or included in the relevant publications.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their
content constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition
cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including
any amendments) applies.
IEC 60050 (all parts), International Electrotechnical vocabulary (available at
www.electropedia.org)
IEC Guide 104:2010, The preparation of safety publications and the use of basic safety
publications and group safety publications
IEC 60050, International Electrotechnical vocabulary
ISO/IEC Guide 51:1999, Safety aspects – Guidelines for their inclusion in standards
ISO 13943:20082017, Fire safety – Vocabulary
3 Terms and definitions
3.1 Use of the term "item"
For the purposes of this document, the English term "item" is used in a general meaning to
represent any single object or assembly of objects, and may cover, for example, material,
product, assembly, structure or building, as required in the context of any individual definition.
If the "item" under consideration is a test specimen then the term "test specimen" is used.
3.2 Other terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.

ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following
addresses:
• IEC Electropedia: available at http://www.electropedia.org/
• ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp
NOTE Terms and definitions that are specifically electrotechnical and that are in ISO 13943:20082017 have been
included below for the convenience of the user.
3.2.1
abnormal heat
heat that is additional to that resulting from use under normal conditions,
up to and including that which causes a fire
[SOURCE: ISO 13943:20082017,4.13.1]
3.2.2
arc resistance
ability of an electrically insulating material to resist the influence of an
electric arc, under specified conditions
Note 1 to entry The arc resistance is identified by the length of the arc, the absence or presence of a conducting
path, and the burning or damage of the test specimen.
[SOURCE: ISO 13943:20082017, 4.133.19]
3.2.3
arc tracking
tracking
progressive formation of conducting paths that are produced on the
surface and/or within a solid insulating material, due to the combined effects of electric stress
and electrolytic contamination
SEE: tracking resistance (3.2.27)
Note 1 to entry: Compare with the term tracking resistance (3.2.20).
[SOURCE: ISO 13943:20082017,4.3423.406]
3.2.4
confirmatory test
procedure intended as a diagnostic indicator to reveal anomalous behaviour or conditions in a
test flame, burner or associated hardware
3.2.5
enclosure
housing affording the type and degree of protection suitable for the intended application
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-195:1998, 195-02-35]
3.2.5
enclosure
external casing protecting the electrical and mechanical parts of apparatus
Note 1 to entry: This term excludes cables.
[SOURCE: ISO 13943:20082017, 4.783.93]
3.2.6
en
...

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