Safety Approvals: What IEC 62368-1 Actually Tells You
Nearly every power supply we sell is approved to IEC 62368-1, and it appears on datasheets in several dresses — EN 62368-1 in Europe, UL 62368-1 and CAN/CSA C22.2 No. 62368-1 in North America. It replaced the older IT-equipment and audio/video safety standards, which were withdrawn in Europe at the end of 2020.
It describes hazards, not parts
The older standards largely prescribed construction — this clearance, that thickness of insulation. 62368-1 works the other way round: it classifies the energy a part of the product can deliver, then asks what safeguards stand between that energy and a person. The practical effect is that two very different designs can both comply, so the standard alone does not tell you how a supply is built.
The classes in plain terms
- ES1 / ES2 / ES3 – electrical energy, from “you will not feel it” up to “this can injure”
- PS1 / PS2 / PS3 – power available to start a fire
- TS1 / TS2 / TS3 – surface temperature, and whether it can burn
Higher class numbers are not faults — they simply require stronger safeguards, and often an enclosure or a warning rather than an open terminal.
What the mark on the label means
This is where buyers most often go wrong. A CE or UKCA mark is the manufacturer’s own declaration that the product meets the applicable standards. A UL, CSA or TUV mark means an independent body tested it and continues to inspect the factory. Both have their place, but they are different levels of assurance.
If a certificate matters to your approval, check three things: that the exact model number appears on it, that the input and output ratings you intend to use are inside the ones listed, and that the certificate is still current.
Not sure which approvals your application demands? Tell us what you are building and we will point you at the right parts.