EN 61010-031:2015/A1:2021

Safety requirements for electrical equipment for measurement, control and laboratory use - Part 031: Safety requirements for hand-held and hand-manipulated probe assemblies for electrical test and measurement

NEXT ACTION: TB ACTION BY 2021-09-14: common mods, currently at ENQ
2019-10-03 JF: NWI for A11 (PR=70187) was approved by the BTthrough decision D163/098. The work on the amendment is under way
2019-03-11 TC is addressing the negative assessment and is invited to provide the information whether the changes will be needed in the main body of the amendment or only in Annex ZZ.
Negative assessment. IEC standard is published.

Sicherheitsbestimmungen für elektrische Mess-, Steuer-, Regel- und Laborgeräte - Teil 031: Sicherheitsbestimmungen für handgehaltenes und handbedientes Messzubehör zum elektrischen Prüfen und Messen

Exigences de sécurité pour appareils électriques de mesurage, de régulation et de laboratoire - Partie 031: Exigences de sécurité pour sondes équipées portatives et manipulées à la main pour mesurage et essais électriques

Varnostne zahteve za električno opremo za meritve, nadzor in laboratorijsko uporabo - 031. del: Varnostne zahteve za ročne sonde za električne meritve in preskušanje - Dopolnilo A1 (IEC 61010-031:2015/A1:2018)

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 11-Nov-2021
• ICS: 19.080 - Electrical and electronic testing
• Technical Committee: CLC/TC 66X - Safety of measuring, control, and laboratory equipment
• Drafting Committee: IEC/TC 66 - IEC_TC_66
• Current Stage: 6060 - Document made available - Publishing
• Start Date: 12-Nov-2021
• Completion Date: 12-Nov-2021
• Directive: 2014/35/EU - Directive 2014/35/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of electrical equipment designed for use within certain voltage limits
• Directive: 2014/53/EU - Directive 2014/53/EU of The European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of radio equipment and repealing Directive 1999/5/EC
• Mandate: M/511 - Mandate to CEN, CENELEC and ETSI relating to harmonised standards in the field of the Low Voltage Directive
• Ref Project: SIST EN 61010-031:2015/A1:2022 - Safety requirements for electrical equipment for measurement, control and laboratory use - Part 031: Safety requirements for hand-held and hand-manipulated probe assemblies for electrical test and measurement (IEC 61010-031:2015/A1:2018)

Relations

• Replaced By: EN IEC 61010-031:2023 - Safety requirements for electrical equipment for measurement, control, and laboratory use - Part 031: Safety requirements for hand-held and hand-manipulated probe assemblies for electrical test and measurement
• Effective Date: 10-Aug-2021
• Amends: EN 61010-031:2015 - Safety requirements for electrical equipment for measurement, control and laboratory use - Part 031: Safety requirements for hand-held probe assemblies for electrical measurement and test
• Effective Date: 11-Apr-2017
• Amended By: EN 61010-031:2015/A11:2021 - Safety requirements for electrical equipment for measurement, control and laboratory use - Part 031: Safety requirements for hand-held and hand-manipulated probe assemblies for electrical test and measurement
• Effective Date: 30-Jul-2019

Overview

EN 61010-031:2015/A1:2021 (identical to IEC 61010-031:2015/A1:2018) is a CENELEC amendment that defines safety requirements for hand‑held and hand‑manipulated probe assemblies used in electrical test and measurement. It applies to probe assemblies for laboratory, control, measurement and testing use and updates the 2015 part‑031 standard with clarifications and technical changes to tests, insulation, clearances and markings. The amendment was approved in 2021 and supports conformity with relevant EU directives (see Annex ZZ).

Key topics and requirements

• Scope & terminology: Clarified definitions for terminals, connectors and measurement category classification (types of mains the probe is intended to be connected to).
• Protection against electric shock: Requirements for accessible parts, protected finger access, and revised test methods including use of rigid test fingers and partially‑mated conditions.
• Measurement categories (II, III, IV): Classification guidance and updated CLEARANCE and test voltage tables for BASIC, SUPPLEMENTARY and REINFORCED insulation specific to different measurement categories.
• Solid insulation: New guidance and test requirements for solid insulation used in probe assemblies - including long‑term stress testing, a.c. and impulse test voltages, and considerations for moulded/potted parts and printed wiring board insulation.
• Probe construction details: Requirements for probe tips, connectors, protective fingerguards, tactile indicators, spring‑loaded clips and shielded probes; probe tips used as connectors must meet fully‑ and partially‑mated connector requirements.
• Marking and documentation: Updated requirements for rating, identification and documentation to support safe use and conformity assessment.
• Type testing: Updated test procedures (temperature rise, short‑term/intermittent operation, voltage and touch current measurements) to verify compliance.

Applications and who uses it

• Manufacturers and designers of hand‑held probes, oscilloscope probes, multimeter leads, test clips and probe accessories use this standard to design for electrical safety and to define insulation, clearance and finger access features.
• Test laboratories and certification bodies apply the specified test methods and voltage/clearance tables during conformity assessment.
• Safety engineers, procurement and compliance teams rely on EN 61010-031 for specifying safe probe assemblies in laboratories, industrial test benches and field measurement equipment.
• Regulatory and conformity assessors reference Annex ZZ for alignment with EU directives when evaluating CE marking and market access.

Related standards

• IEC 61010 family (safety of measuring, control and laboratory equipment) - this part supplements the general requirements.
• National adoptions and identical national standards per CENELEC implementation (implementation deadline: 2022‑05‑12; withdrawal of conflicting standards: 2024‑11‑12).

Keywords: EN 61010-031:2015/A1:2021, IEC 61010-031, hand-held probes, probe assemblies, safety requirements, measurement categories, solid insulation, clearances, protective fingerguard, testing, laboratory equipment.

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-marec-2022
Varnostne zahteve za električno opremo za meritve, nadzor in laboratorijsko
uporabo - 031. del: Varnostne zahteve za ročne sonde za električne meritve in
preskušanje - Dopolnilo A1 (IEC 61010-031:2015/A1:2018)
Safety requirements for electrical equipment for measurement, control and laboratory
use - Part 031: Safety requirements for hand-held and hand-manipulated probe
assemblies for electrical test and measurement (IEC 61010-031:2015/A1:2018)
Siicherheitsbestimmungen für elektrische Mess-, Steuer-, Regel- und Laborgeräte - Teil
031: Sicherheitsbestimmungen für handgehaltenes Messzubehör zum Messen und
Prüfen (IEC 61010-031:2015/A1:2018)
Exigences de sécurité pour appareils électriques de mesurage, de régulation et de
laboratoire - Partie 031: Exigences de sécurité pour sondes équipées portatives et
manipulées à la main pour mesurage et essais électriques (IEC 61010-
031:2015/A1:2018)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN 61010-031:2015/A1:2021
ICS:
19.080 Električno in elektronsko Electrical and electronic
preskušanje testing
71.040.10 Kemijski laboratoriji. Chemical laboratories.
Laboratorijska oprema Laboratory equipment
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EUROPEAN STANDARD EN 61010-031:2015/A1

NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
November 2021
ICS 19.080
English Version
Safety requirements for electrical equipment for measurement,
control and laboratory use - Part 031: Safety requirements for
hand-held and hand-manipulated probe assemblies for electrical
test and measurement
(IEC 61010-031:2015/A1:2018)
Exigences de sécurité pour appareils électriques de Sicherheitsbestimmungen für elektrische Mess-, Steuer-,
mesurage, de régulation et de laboratoire - Partie 031: Regel- und Laborgeräte - Teil 031:
Exigences de sécurité pour sondes équipées portatives et Sicherheitsbestimmungen für handgehaltenes
manipulées à la main pour mesurage et essais électriques Messzubehör zum Messen und Prüfen
(IEC 61010-031:2015/A1:2018) (IEC 61010-031:2015/A1:2018)
This amendment A1 modifies the European Standard EN 61010-031:2015; it was approved by CENELEC on 2018-07-03. CENELEC
members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this amendment the
status of a national standard without any alteration.
Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre or to any CENELEC member.
This amendment exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by translation under the
responsibility of a CENELEC member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre has the same status as
the official versions.
CENELEC members are the national electrotechnical committees of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic,
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the
Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Turkey and the United Kingdom.

European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization
Comité Européen de Normalisation Electrotechnique
Europäisches Komitee für Elektrotechnische Normung
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2021 CENELEC All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved worldwide for CENELEC Members.
Ref. No. EN 61010-031:2015/A1:2021 E

European foreword
The text of document 66/664/FDIS, future IEC 61010-031/A1, prepared by IEC/TC 66 "Safety of
measuring, control and laboratory equipment" was submitted to the IEC-CENELEC parallel vote and
approved by CENELEC as EN 61010-031:2015/A1:2021.
The following dates are fixed:
• latest date by which the document has to be implemented at national (dop) 2022-05-12
level by publication of an identical national standard or by endorsement
• latest date by which the national standards conflicting with the (dow) 2024-11-12
document have to be withdrawn
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CENELEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
This document has been prepared under a Standardization Request given to CENELEC by the
European Commission and the European Free Trade Association, and supports essential
requirements of EU Directive(s) / Regulation(s).
For the relationship with EU Directive(s) / Regulation(s), see informative Annex ZZ, which is an
integral part of EN 61010-031:2015/A11:2021.
Any feedback and questions on this document should be directed to the users’ national committee. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found on the CENELEC website.
Endorsement notice
The text of the International Standard IEC 61010-031/A1:2018 was approved by CENELEC as a
European Standard without any modification.
IEC 61010-031 ®
Edition 2.0 2018-05
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
GROUP SAFETY PUBLICATION
AMENDMENT 1
Safety requirements for electrical equipment for measurement, control and

laboratory use –
Part 031: Safety requirements for hand-held and hand-manipulated probe

assemblies for electrical test and measurement

INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
ICS 19.080
ISBN 978-2-8322-5745-6
– 2 – IEC 61010-031:2015/AMD1:2018
© IEC 2018
FOREWORD
This amendment has been prepared by IEC technical committee 66: Safety of measuring,
control and laboratory equipment.
The text of this standard is based on the following documents:
FDIS Report on voting
66/664/FDIS 66/670/RVD
Full information on the voting for the approval of this amendment can be found in the report
on voting indicated in the above table.
The committee has decided that the contents of this amendment and the base publication will
remain unchanged until the stability date indicated on the IEC website under
"http://webstore.iec.ch" in the data related to the specific publication. At this date, the
publication will be
• reconfirmed,
• withdrawn,
• replaced by a revised edition, or
• amended.
A bilingual version of this publication may be issued at a later date.

_____________
Title
Replace the part title as follows:
Part 031: Safety requirements for hand-held and hand-manipulated
probe assemblies for electrical test and measurement

1 Scope and object
1.1.1 Probe assemblies included in scope
Figure 4 – Examples of Type D probe assemblies
Delete, in key 3, the words “or clamp”.

IEC 61010-031:2015/AMD1:2018 – 3 –
© IEC 2018
3 Terms and definitions
3.1.1
TERMINAL
Note 1 to entry:
Delete the word “connectors,”.
3.1.5
CONNECTOR
Delete, in the definition, the words “a CONNECTOR of” so that the end of the sentence will read:
“…to connect to a TERMINAL of the equipment or to another probe assembly”.
3.4.11
MEASUREMENT CATEGORY
Replace the existing text of the definition with the following:
classification of testing and measuring circuits according to the types of mains to which they
are intended to be connected
4 Tests
4.3.9 Duty cycle
Replace the existing title of 4.3.9 with the following:
4.3.9 Short-term or intermittent operation

4.4.4.2 Temperature
Replace the existing second paragraph with the following:
This temperature is determined by measuring the temperature rise of the surface or part and
adding it to the ambient temperature of 40 °C, or to the maximum RATED ambient temperature
if higher.
4.5.2 Fuses
Replace, in the fourth sentence of the second paragraph, the word “MAINS” (in SMALL CAPS)
with “mains” (in regular font).

5 Marking and documentation
5.1.5 RATING
Replace, in list item a) of the first paragraph, the words “(see also 5.4.3 f) and g))” with “(see
also 5.4.3 k))”.
– 4 – IEC 61010-031:2015/AMD1:2018
© IEC 2018
6 Protection against electric shock
6.2.2 Examination
Figure 6 – Methods for determination of ACCESSIBLE parts (see 6.2) and for voltage tests
(see 6.4.2)
Replace the existing subfigures 6c and 6d with the following new subfigures:

Connecting parts are partially mated so as just to make electrical contact while allowing maximum access to the
test finger.
Note the two possible positions of the test finger.
Figure 6c – Partially mated probe assemblies (see 6.2 and 6.4.2 b))

Key
F rigid test finger (see Figure B.1)
H potentially HAZARDOUS LIVE part
Note the two possible positions of the test finger.
Figure 6d – Unmated parts of a probe assembly (see 6.2 and 6.4.2 c))

6.3.4.1 General
Replace, in the first paragraph, the existing list with the following:
a) the probe body;
b) hand-held or hand-manipulated parts of each CONNECTOR;
± 20 mm of the PROBE WIRE or the maximum length of the cable whichever is
c) 150 mm
shorter;
d) other hand-held or hand-manipulated parts.

IEC 61010-031:2015/AMD1:2018 – 5 –
© IEC 2018
Figure 8 – Voltage and touch current measurement
Delete, in the text of key item 2c, the words “(see 12.3.2)”.

6.3.4.2 Probe assemblies with floating outer conductors
Figure 10 – Voltage and touch current measurement with shielded test probe
Delete, in the text of key item 2c, the words “(see 12.3.2)”.

6.3.4.3 High frequency test probes
Replace, in the fourth paragraph, “the circuit from A.3” with “the circuit from Figure A.3”.

6.4.1 General
Replace, in the third paragraph, the existing list with the following list:
a) DOUBLE INSULATION, consisting of BASIC INSULATION plus SUPPLEMENTARY INSULATION (see
6.4.6)
b) BASIC INSULATION plus impedance (see 6.4.4);
c) REINFORCED INSULATION (see 6.4.6);
d) PROTECTIVE IMPEDANCE (see 6.4.5).

6.4.2 CONNECTORS
Add, at the end of the sentence of 6.4.2 c) 2), “(see Figure 5)”.

6.4.3.2 Protection by a PROTECTIVE FINGERGUARD
Replace the existing third paragraph with the following:
The height of the PROTECTIVE FINGERGUARD from the side where the fingers are intended to be
applied shall be at least 2 mm.

6.4.3.4 Protection by tactile indicator
Replace the existing first paragraph with the following:
SPRING-LOADED CLIPS RATED for MEASUREMENT CATEGORY II or without MEASUREMENT CATEGORY
for maximum 300 V which require finger pressure at about 90° to the axis of the clip are
acceptable without a PROTECTIVE FINGERGUARD, provided that there is a tactile indicator to
indicate the limit of safe access for the OPERATOR.

– 6 – IEC 61010-031:2015/AMD1:2018
© IEC 2018
6.4.3.5 PROBE TIPS used as CONNECTORS
Replace the text with the following text:
PROBE TIPS which can be used as CONNECTORS and are intended to be connected to specified
accessories (for example to a SPRING-LOADED CLIP) shall, in combination with those
accessories, also meet the requirements for CONNECTORS in fully-mated position and partially-
mated position (see 6.4.2 a) and b)).

6.5.1.2.4 SOLID INSULATION
Delete the entire subclause including Table 4, Table 5, Figure 15, Figure 16 and Figure 17.

Add the following new subclause:
6.5.1.3 Solid insulation
The term “solid insulation” is used to describe many different types of construction, including
monolithic blocks of insulating material and insulation subsystems composed of multiple
insulating materials, organized in layers or otherwise.
The electric strength of a thickness of solid insulation is considerably greater than that of the
same thickness of air. The insulating distances through solid insulation are therefore typically
smaller than the distances through air. As a result, electric fields in solid insulation are
typically higher, and often are less homogeneous.
Solid insulation material may contain gaps or voids. When a solid insulation system is
constructed from layers of solid materials, there are also likely to be gaps or voids between
layers. These voids will perturb the electric field so that a disproportionately large part of the
electric field is located in the void, potentially causing ionization within the void, resulting in
partial discharge. These partial discharges will influence the adjacent solid insulation and may
reduce its service life.
Solid insulation is not a renewable medium: damage is cumulative over the life of the
equipment. Solid insulation is also subject to ageing and to degradation from repeated high
voltage testing.
Conformity is checked as specified in 6.5.2.5 and 6.5.2.6.

6.5.2.2 CLEARANCES for probe assemblies of MEASUREMENT CATEGORIES II, III and IV
Replace the existing Table 6 with the following:

IEC 61010-031:2015/AMD1:2018 – 7 –
© IEC 2018
Table 6 – CLEARANCES of probe assemblies RATED for MEASUREMENT CATEGORIES
Nominal a.c. r.m.s. CLEARANCE
line-to-neutral or
d.c. voltage of mm
mains to which the
BASIC INSULATION
probe assembly is
REINFORCED INSULATION
and SUPPLEMENTARY INSULATION
designed to be
connected
MEASUREMENT MEASUREMENT MEASUREMENT MEASUREMENT MEASUREMENT MEASUREMENT

CATEGORY II CATEGORY III CATEGORY IV CATEGORY II CATEGORY III CATEGORY IV
V
0,04 0,1 0,5 0,10 0,32 1,4
≤ 50
> 50 ≤ 100 0,1 0,5 1,5 0,32 1,4 3,0
> 100 ≤ 150 0,5 1,5 3,0 1,4 3,0 6,0
1,5 3,0 5,5 3,0 6,0 10,4
> 150 ≤ 300
3,0 5,5 8 6,0 10,4 15
> 300 ≤ 600
> 600 ≤ 1 000 5,5 8 14 10,4 15 23,9
8 11 18 16 22 36
> 1 000 ≤ 1 500
14 18 22 28 36 44
> 1 500 ≤ 2 000
> 2 000 ≤ 3 000 18 22 25 36 44 50

Replace, in the conformity statement, the word “clearance” with “CLEARANCE” (in SMALL CAPS).

6.5.2.3.1 General
Replace, in the second paragraph, the words “required clearance” with “required CLEARANCE”.
Add the following two new subclauses, Table 4, Table 5, Table 14, Figure 15, Figure 16 and
Figure 17:
6.5.2.5 Solid insulation of probe assemblies RATED for MEASUREMENT CATEGORIES
6.5.2.5.1 General
6.5.2.5.1.1 Solid insulation of probe assemblies RATED for MEASUREMENT CATEGORIES shall
withstand the electrical and mechanical stresses that may occur in NORMAL USE and in all
RATED environmental conditions (see 1.4) during the intended life of the probe assembly.
The manufacturer should take the expected life of the probe assembly into account when
selecting insulating materials.
Conformity is checked by both of the following tests:
a) the a.c. voltage test of 6.6.5.1 with a duration of at least 5 s using the applicable test
voltage of Table 4 or the impulse voltage test of 6.6.5.3 using the applicable test voltage
of Table 14;
b) the a.c. voltage test of 6.6.5.1 or if stressed only by d.c., the d.c. voltage test of 6.6.5.2,
with a duration of at least 1 min using the test voltage determined by 6.5.2.5.1.2.
NOTE Test a) checks the effects of transient overvoltages, while test b) checks the effects of long-term stress of
solid insulation.
– 8 – IEC 61010-031:2015/AMD1:2018
© IEC 2018
Table 4 – a.c. test voltages for testing electric strength
of solid insulation in probe assemblies RATED for MEASUREMENT CATEGORIES
a.c. test voltage
Nominal a.c. r.m.s.
line-to-neutral or
V r.m.s
d.c. voltage of
mains being BASIC INSULATION
REINFORCED INSULATION
measured and SUPPLEMENTARY INSULATION

MEASUREMENT MEASUREMENT MEASUREMENT MEASUREMENT MEASUREMENT MEASUREMENT
V
CATEGORY II CATEGORY III CATEGORY IV
...