| Publisher | IEC |
|---|---|
| Type | Standard (multi-part international series) |
| Scope | Rules for the design, erection and verification of electrical installations operating at low voltage, generally up to 1000 V AC or 1500 V DC. |
| Who uses it | Electrical designers, installers, inspectors and national standards committees in countries that base their wiring rules on IEC practice, and engineers on international projects. |
| Edition note | Each part of the series has its own edition. Refer to the publisher for the current edition of each part. |
What It Is
IEC 60364 is the International Electrotechnical Commission's multi-part standard for low-voltage electrical installations in buildings and similar premises. It is written as a set of principles and requirements that national committees adopt and adapt; many national wiring rules, including the British BS 7671 and European harmonization documents in the HD 60364 series, are built directly on it.
The series is arranged by purpose. Part 1 sets fundamental principles and definitions. Part 4 covers protection for safety, including protection against electric shock, thermal effects, overcurrent and voltage disturbances. Part 5 covers selection and erection of equipment, such as wiring systems, isolation and switching, earthing arrangements and safety services. Part 6 covers initial and periodic verification. Part 7 contains requirements for special installations or locations, such as bathrooms, construction sites, swimming pools and solar photovoltaic systems.
Why It Matters
For engineers outside North America, IEC 60364 defines the vocabulary and logic of installation safety. For US engineers working on international projects, it is often the reference that determines how earthing, protective devices and verification must be handled, and its concepts differ in important ways from NEC practice.
IEC 60364 itself becomes mandatory only where a national regulation or code adopts it. Its value is the coherent risk-based framework it gives designers: identify the hazard, select a protective measure and verify that the measure works.
Key Concepts
- Earthing systems — the TN (TN-S, TN-C, TN-C-S), TT and IT arrangements describe how the source and exposed conductive parts relate to earth, which drives the choice of protective devices.
- Basic and fault protection — protection against direct contact with live parts and against contact with parts that become live under fault conditions.
- Automatic disconnection of supply — the most common protective measure, in which a protective device disconnects a faulty circuit within a required time to limit touch voltage.
- Residual current devices (RCDs) — devices that detect leakage current to earth and provide additional protection in many circuits and locations.
- SELV and PELV — extra-low voltage systems designed so that normal and single-fault voltages cannot cause dangerous shock.
- Protective equipotential bonding — connection of extraneous conductive parts to the main earthing terminal to reduce touch voltages.
- Verification — inspection and testing before an installation is energized and at intervals during its life to confirm it meets the standard.
Who Should Know It
- Electrical designers working on international or IEC-based projects
- Electricians and installation supervisors outside North America
- Inspectors and verification engineers
- Facility engineers responsible for multinational sites
- Engineering students learning comparative code practice
Related Standards
- BS 7671 — the UK wiring regulations, closely based on IEC 60364.
- NFPA 70 (NEC) — the US installation code, which follows different structures for earthing and protection.
- IEC 60529 — IP codes used to select equipment for external influences in IEC installations.
- IEC 61936-1 — the IEC standard for power installations exceeding 1 kV AC, complementing IEC 60364 above the low-voltage range.
How ASEEE Uses It
ASEEE electrical installation and safety programs map learning outcomes and assessments to IEC 60364 concepts, including earthing systems, automatic disconnection and verification, so candidates can work confidently on IEC-based projects. See related ASEEE programs.
ASEEE Programs Referencing This Standard
- Authorized Electrical Person
- Certified Elevator and Escalator Electrical Systems Inspector
- Competent Electrical Person
- Electrical Control Person
- Electrical Installations Level 1
- Electrical Installations Level 2
- Electrical QA/QC Inspection and Quality Management
- Electrical QA/QC Inspector
- Low-Voltage and High-Voltage Engineering
Educational summary only. ASEEE is not the publisher of this document and this page does not reproduce or replace it. Always consult the current official edition from IEC for requirements.