IEC Guide 104-2019 PDF

Full title and description

IEC Guide 104:2019 — The preparation of safety publications and the use of basic safety publications and group safety publications. This mandatory IEC Guide defines procedures for preparing safety publications (requirements, guidance, test procedures, reference data), establishes subcategories for BASIC SAFETY PUBLICATION and GROUP SAFETY PUBLICATION, and describes the relationship and responsibilities between technical committees (TCs) with horizontal or group safety functions and product TCs. In this Guide, "safety" covers the safety of persons, domestic animals, livestock and property.

Abstract

IEC Guide 104:2019 (Edition 5.0) provides mandatory procedures and editorial/technical rules for the development, designation and use of IEC safety publications. It aligns terminology and principles with ISO/IEC Guide 51:2014, clarifies the roles of TCs with horizontal safety functions, introduces distinct basic and group safety publication subcategories, updates document structure and responsibilities, and replaces previous annex material by references to complementary IEC Guides.

General information

• Status: Published / Current (active guidance document).
• Publication date: 24 July 2019.
• Publisher: International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), ACOS (Advisory Committee on Safety).
• ICS / categories: 29.020 (Electrical engineering in general).
• Edition / version: Edition 5.0 (IEC Guide 104:2019).
• Number of pages: 19 pages.

Scope

This Guide is mandatory for the preparation of IEC safety publications and supplements ISO/IEC Guide 51 by setting out procedures specific to IEC. It covers: classification and use of BASIC SAFETY PUBLICATIONS and GROUP SAFETY PUBLICATIONS; assignment and interaction of TCs with HORIZONTAL SAFETY FUNCTIONS or GROUP SAFETY FUNCTIONS and PRODUCT TCs; responsibilities for developing and monitoring safety publications; and the editorial and status rules applicable to safety-designated IEC documents. It does not replace general guidance on inclusion of safety aspects in standards (ISO/IEC Guide 51) or replace detailed risk-assessment guidance provided in IEC Guide 116.

Key topics and requirements

• Mandatory procedures for drafting and designating safety publications within IEC.
• Definition and use of the subcategories BASIC SAFETY PUBLICATION and GROUP SAFETY PUBLICATION (requirements, guidance, test procedures, reference data).
• Clarified responsibilities and collaboration processes for TCs with horizontal or group safety functions and product TCs.
• Alignment of terminology and definitions with ISO/IEC Guide 51:2014.
• Reference to other IEC Guides (e.g., IEC Guide 108 in the introduction and replacement of earlier annexes by reference to IEC Guide 116).
• Updated structure, titles and subclauses for safety publications and a shortened status statement for BASIC SAFETY PUBLICATION-designated documents.
• Inclusion of scope items relevant to PRODUCT SAFETY STANDARDS.

Typical use and users

Primary users are IEC technical committee members, standards writers and editors, national standards bodies, safety and compliance engineers, regulatory authorities, conformity assessment and testing laboratories, and organizations that adopt or reference IEC safety publications. The Guide is used when drafting or reviewing IEC safety standards and when deciding the status and categorization of safety-related IEC deliverables.

Related standards

Closely related guidance and normative references include ISO/IEC Guide 51:2014 (Safety aspects — Guidelines for their inclusion in standards), IEC Guide 116 (guidance on safety-related risk assessment in certain contexts), and IEC Guide 108 (referenced in the Guide's introduction). IEC Guide 104 is part of the family of IEC Guides and works alongside other IEC and ISO guidance on safety, risk and standardization practice.

Keywords

safety publications; basic safety publication; group safety publication; horizontal safety function; technical committee responsibilities; IEC Guide 104:2019; ISO/IEC Guide 51; safety standard drafting; conformity; editorial procedures.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: IEC Guide 104:2019 is an IEC Guide (Edition 5.0) that specifies mandatory procedures for the preparation and use of IEC safety publications and defines subcategories such as BASIC SAFETY PUBLICATION and GROUP SAFETY PUBLICATION.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers procedures, terminology alignment with ISO/IEC Guide 51:2014, responsibilities of technical committees (particularly those with horizontal or group safety functions), document structure and status statements, and the categorization and intended use of safety-designated IEC documents.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: IEC technical committees and their secretariats, standards editors, national standards bodies, safety and compliance engineers, regulatory bodies, and conformity assessment/testing organizations use it when preparing or applying IEC safety publications.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: IEC Guide 104:2019 was published on 24 July 2019 (Edition 5.0) and is the current edition. The IEC webstore indicates its stability date extending to 2026; users should check IEC communications or national bodies for any amendments or later editions after that date.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: It is part of the IEC Guides family (guidance documents supporting IEC standards development). It complements and references other guides such as ISO/IEC Guide 51:2014, IEC Guide 108 and IEC Guide 116 rather than being a numbered “series” of product standards.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Key keywords are: safety publications, BASIC SAFETY PUBLICATION, GROUP SAFETY PUBLICATION, horizontal safety function, TC responsibilities, ISO/IEC Guide 51, IEC Guide 116, standardization of safety.