Safety of electrical appliances

Electrical products must be safe

If an electrical product poses a serious risk, it is mostly because it may give the user an electric shock or it may overheat and cause a housefire. Electric shock can originate from three categories of product hazards:

• electric wiring of poor quality which will cause the electric insulation to break down or the conductor to break
• components with too little insulation, for instance plugs where you can touch live parts
• poor construction for instance with sharp edges in the wireway or inadequate anchoring of the supply cord

In any of these cases the consumer may get in touch with live parts and get an electric shock. The risk for housefire often originates from overheating components or internal arcs due to poor construction of the appliance.

The EU’s approach to product safety places the biggest responsibility on the manufacturer. The main responsibilities of a manufacturer are covered in detail in other sections of this module.

It is recommended that manufacturers follow the 6-step approach below to supply safe and compliant electrical products into the EU market:

1. Ensure that the design of the product meets the safety requirements. European harmonised standards can help with this point.
2. Ensure that the product conforms with the legal requirements by following the conformity assessment process.
3. Compile a technical file with the evidence that the product conforms with the requirements.
4. Draw up and sign an EU declaration of conformity. Store it for 10 years together with the technical file.
5. Affix the CE mark to the product.
6. Check that the product conforms with other labelling requirements. Ensure that the product is accompanied by clear instructions for its safe use in the language of the country of sale. 

The main responsibilities of a manufacturer are covered in detail in other sections of this module.