UL 62368-1 2021-10 PDF

Full title and description

UL 62368-1 — Standard for Safety: Audio/Video, Information and Communication Technology Equipment — Part 1: Safety Requirements (UL adoption / national differences). This entry refers to the UL revision published October 22, 2021 (UL 62368-1, 2021-10), a U.S. national adoption of IEC 62368-1 (Edition 3) with U.S. national differences and editorial updates.

Abstract

UL 62368-1 (2021-10) is a hazard-based, performance-oriented safety standard for audio/video (AV), information technology (IT) and communication technology (ICT) equipment. It classifies energy sources, prescribes safeguards to reduce the likelihood of injury, shock and fire, and incorporates U.S.-specific national differences and alignments (for example, correlation edits with NFPA 70:2020 and NFPA 75:2020). The UL 2021 revision implements the Third Edition technical basis (IEC 62368-1 Ed. 3) together with the UL/CSA national differences.

General information

• Status: Published (UL revision dated October 22, 2021); remains the applicable UL edition until the UL 62368-1, Edition 4 transition becomes effective in North America (see FAQ).
• Publication date: October 22, 2021 (UL national revision / update).
• Publisher: Underwriters Laboratories (UL).
• ICS / categories: 33.160.01 (Audio/video and audiovisual systems); 35.020 (Information technology (IT)).
• Edition / version: UL revision (based on IEC 62368-1, Third Edition). The UL revision date: 2021-10 (October 22, 2021).
• Number of pages: 523 pages (UL 62368-1, 2021 PDF/page count as published).

Scope

Applies to the safety of electrical and electronic equipment within the field of audio, video, information and communication technology (AV/IT/ICT) and business/office machines with rated voltages not exceeding typical low-voltage limits addressed by the IEC/UL/CSA family (equipment-level safety requirements, classification of energy sources, and performance-based safeguards). The standard is intended to be technology‑neutral and to provide a single, stable safety framework replacing legacy prescriptive standards for AV and IT equipment.

Key topics and requirements

• Hazard‑based Safety Engineering (HBSE): classify energy sources and apply appropriate safeguards (basic, supplementary) rather than relying solely on prescriptive constructions.
• Energy-source classification and safeguard selection for electrical shock, thermal ignition and fire spread.
• Performance tests for normal, abnormal and single-fault conditions (including single-fault testing and fire‑related performance methods).
• Requirements for components, insulation, creepage/clearance, wiring, connectors and mains interconnections (including referenced component standards applicable under UL national differences).
• Battery-containing equipment guidance (charging safeguards and temperature limits) and specific Annex material addressing modern technologies.
• National‑difference and editorial updates applied by UL (examples: correlation with NFPA 70 and NFPA 75 in the 2021 UL revision).

Typical use and users

Manufacturers, design engineers, compliance/test laboratories, certification bodies and safety/regulatory teams working on AV, IT and ICT products (consumer electronics, professional AV equipment, servers, network equipment, power supplies, peripherals and related devices) use UL 62368-1 (2021) to design, test and certify products for the U.S. market under UL/CSA acceptance and to address required national differences. Test labs and certification engineers reference this edition when products are being evaluated against the UL 2021 national revisions.

Related standards

UL 62368-1 is cross-referenced with many component and safety standards (for example, applicable IEC series for connectors, flammability and component tests, IEC 60065/IEC 60950 legacy material, and various UL component standards). It is the UL/CSA adoption of IEC 62368-1 and is related to CSA C22.2 No. 62368-1 (binational reference). Subsequent and related documents include IEC 62368-1 editions (Ed. 3 and Ed. 4) and regional EN/EN IEC adoptions.

Keywords

UL 62368-1, IEC 62368-1, audio/video, information technology, ICT, hazard‑based safety, HBSE, safeguards, energy-source classification, battery charging, fire testing, NFPA 70, NFPA 75, national differences.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: UL 62368-1 (2021-10) is the Underwriters Laboratories national adoption/revision of IEC 62368-1 (Third Edition) titled "Audio/Video, Information and Communication Technology Equipment — Part 1: Safety Requirements." It packages the IEC technical content together with U.S. national differences and editorial corrections published by UL on October 22, 2021.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers safety requirements for AV/IT/ICT equipment — classifying energy sources and prescribing safeguards to reduce risk of electric shock, burns, ignition and fire spread. The standard uses a performance-based, hazard‑focused approach rather than purely prescriptive construction rules. It also references component and test methods required for equipment evaluation.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Product designers, in-house compliance and safety engineers, certification and testing laboratories, and regulatory teams at manufacturers of consumer and professional AV/IT/ICT equipment use this standard to design and demonstrate compliance for the U.S. marketplace. Certification bodies (UL, CSA and others) apply the document when listing and evaluating products.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: UL 62368-1 (2021-10) is a published and valid UL adoption of IEC 62368-1 (Ed. 3). Note: a newer Edition 4 of the binational/UL text has been prepared/published as part of the global transition (UL/CSA 62368-1, Ed. 4 was published by the binational committee on July 31, 2025). The Ed. 4 transition / effective date for North America aligns with the EN/CENELEC withdrawal schedules and is set for Feb 15, 2027; until the Ed.4 effective date the 2021/Ed.3 UL adoption remains the operative UL edition for many certification activities. Check current UL/CSA notices before applying the standard to new certifications.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — IEC/UL/CSA 62368 is a multipart product safety family. Part 1 is the general safety requirements (this document). Other related technical documents, corrigenda, national difference records and guidance annexes complement Part 1; UL publishes mandatory national annexes and explanatory material as needed. The UL edition aligns with the binational CSA C22.2 No. 62368-1 text for North America.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Hazard‑based safety, HBSE, AV, IT, ICT, energy‑source classification, safeguards, performance test, fire enclosure, battery charging safeguards, UL national differences, CSA C22.2 No. 62368-1.