IEC TS 61201:2007

Use of conventional touch voltage limits - Application guide

Provides guidance on the use of conventional touch voltage limits with reference to thresholds given in IEC 60479-5. Consideration is given to different physiological effects, environmental conditions, contact conditions, etc. This specification only discusses voltages for sinusoidal a.c. at 50/60 Hz and pure d.c. having no significant a.c. component. This specification does not consider immersion of body parts or medical applications. Touch voltage limits are for use by technical committees as guidance for the determination of their own specific limits. This basic safety publication is primarily intended for use by technical committees in the preparation of standards in accordance with the principles laid down in IEC Guide 104 and ISO/IEC Guide 51. It is not intended for use by manufacturers or certification bodies 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. This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition which was issued as a technical report in 1992. It constitutes a technical revision and now has the status of a technical specification. The main changes with respect to the previous edition are listed below: - proposal of maximum contact areas for various conventional touch voltage limit; - introduction of different current pathways through the human body for the selection of conventional touch voltage limit; - introduction of conventional touch voltage limit corresponding to the startle reaction current threshold, the inability of let-go current threshold and the ventricular fibrillation current threshold; - possibility of interpolation on contact area for other conventional touch voltage limits. It has the status of a basic safety publication in accordance with IEC Guide 104 and ISO/IEC Guide 51.

Utilisation des tensions limites conventionnelles de contact - Guide d'application

Fournit des lignes directrices pour l'utilisation des tensions limites conventionnelles de contact en se référant aux seuils fournis par la CEI 60479-5. Des considérations sont données pour différents effets physiologiques, conditions d'environnement, conditions de contact, etc. Cette spécification examine seulement les tensions alternatives sinusoïdales à 50/60 Hz ainsi que les tensions continues pures sans composantes alternatives significatives. Cette spécification ne considère pas l'immersion de parties du corps ainsi que les applications médicales. Les limites de tension de contact sont à l'usage des comités techniques afin qu'ils puissent déterminer leur propres limites spécifiques. Cette publication fondamentale de sécurité est d'abord prévue pour être utilisée par les comités techniques dans la préparation des normes en conformité avec les principes du Guide 104 et du Guide ISO/CEI 51. Il n'est pas prévu qu'elle soit utilisée par les constructeurs ou par les organismes de certification. L'une des responsabilités d'un comité d'études consiste, le cas échéant, à utiliser les publications fondamentales de sécurité dans le cadre de l'élaboration de ses publications. Les exigences, les méthodes ou les conditions d'essai de la présente publication fondamentale de sécurité s'appliqueront seulement si elles servent spécifiquement de référence ou sont intégrées dans les publications correspondantes. Cette deuxième édition annule et remplace la première édition parue comme rapport technique en 1992. Elle constitue une révision technique qui conduit au statut de spécification technique. Les modifications principales par rapport à l'édition précédente sont les suivantes : - propositions de surfaces de contact maximales pour différentes tensions limites conventionnelles de contact; - introduction de différents cheminements de courant au travers du corps humain pour le choix de la tension limite conventionnelle de contact; - introduction de la tension limite conventionnelle de contact correspondant au seuil de tressaillement en courant, au seuil de fortes réactions musculaires en courant et au seuil de fibrillation ventriculaire en courant; - possibilité d'interpolation sur la surface de contact pour d'autres tensions limites conventionnelles de contact. Elle a le statut de publication fondamentale de sécurité, conformément au Guide CEI 104 et au guide ISO/CEI 51.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 29-Aug-2007
• ICS: 13.260 - Protection against electric shock. Live working
• ICS: 29.020 - Electrical engineering in general
• ICS: 91.140.50 - Electricity supply systems
• Technical Committee: TC 64 - Electrical installations and protection against electric shock
• Drafting Committee: PT 61201 - TC 64/PT 61201
• Current Stage: PPUB - Publication issued
• Start Date: 15-Nov-2007
• Completion Date: 30-Aug-2007

Standards Content (Sample)

IEC/TS 61201
Edition 2.0 2007-08
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATION
SPÉCIFICATION
TECHNIQUE
BASIC SAFETY PUBLICATION
PUBLICATION FONDAMENTALE DE SÉCURITÉ
Use of conventional touch voltage limits – Application guide

Utilisation des tensions limites conventionnelles de contact – Guide
d’application
IEC/TS 61201:2007
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IEC/TS 61201
Edition 2.0 2007-08
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATION
SPÉCIFICATION
TECHNIQUE
BASIC SAFETY PUBLICATION
PUBLICATION FONDAMENTALE DE SÉCURITÉ
Use of conventional touch voltage limits – Application guide

Utilisation des tensions limites conventionnelles de contact – Guide
d’application
INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
COMMISSION
ELECTROTECHNIQUE
PRICE CODE
INTERNATIONALE
Q
CODE PRIX
ICS 13.260; 29.020; 91.140.50 ISBN 2-8318-9291-0

– 2 – TS 61201 © IEC:2007
CONTENTS
FOREWORD.3
INTRODUCTION.5

1 Scope.6
2 Normative references .6
3 Use of this technical specification.7
4 Conditions and values of thresholds .7
4.1 Physiological effects of body current .7
4.2 Body impedance.7
5 Voltage thresholds and limits.8
5.1 Voltage threshold as a function of contact area .8
5.2 Conventional voltage limits.11
6 Limits of applicability .14
6.1 Higher frequency alternating voltages and currents .14
6.2 Immersion .14
6.3 Medical applications .14

Annex A (informative) Voltage thresholds - charged capacitors.15
Bibliography.17

Figure 1 – Minimum touch voltage threshold corresponding to a.c. and dry conditions
for current startle reaction (a), muscular reaction (b) and ventricular fibrillation (c ).8
Figure 2 – Minimum touch voltage threshold corresponding to a.c. and water-wet
conditions for current startle reaction (a), muscular reaction (b) and ventricular
fibrillation (c ) .9
Figure 3 – Minimum touch voltage threshold corresponding to a.c. and saltwater-wet
conditions for current startle reaction (a), muscular reaction (b) and ventricular
fibrillation (c ) .9
Figure 4 – Minimum touch voltage threshold corresponding to d.c. and dry conditions
for current startle reaction (a), muscular reaction (b) and ventricular fibrillation (c ).10
Figure 5 – Minimum touch voltage threshold corresponding to d.c. and water-wet
conditions for current startle reaction (a), muscular reaction (b) and ventricular
fibrillation (c ) .10
Figure 6 – Minimum touch voltage threshold corresponding to d.c. and saltwater-wet
condition for current startle reaction (a), muscular reaction (b) and ventricular
fibrillation (c ) .11
Figure A.1 – Values of charged capacitances .16
Table 1 – Examples of maximum contact areas corresponding to given a.c. touch
voltages .12
Table 2 – Examples of maximum contact areas corresponding to given d.c. touch
voltages.13
Table A.1 – Limits for steady state voltage.15
Table A.2 – Limit values of accessible capacitances (threshold of pain).16

TS 61201 © IEC:2007 – 3 –
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
USE OF CONVENTIONAL TOUCH VOLTAGE LIMITS –
APPLICATION GUIDE
FOREWORD
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Technical specifications are subject to review within three years of publication to decide
whether they can be transformed into International Standards.
IEC/TS 61201, which is a technical specification, has been prepared by IEC technical
committee 64: Electrical installations and protection against electrical shock.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition which was issued as a technical
report in 1992. It constitutes a technical revision and now has the status of a technical
specification.
– 4 – TS 61201 © IEC:2007
The main changes with respect to the previous edition are listed below:
– proposal of maximum contact areas for various conventional touch voltage limit;
– introduction of different current pathways through the human body for the selection of
conventional touch voltage limit;
– introduction of conventional touch voltage limit corresponding to the startle reaction current
threshold, the inability of let-go current threshold and the ventricular fibrillation current threshold;
– possibility of interpolation on contact area for other conventional touch voltage limits.
It has the status of a basic safet
...