Application Note – AN1102

Electrical Appliances

Abstract: This paper discusses the IEC protection classes that are used to differentiate between the
protective-earth connections requirements of electrical devices.

Introduction: back up of the second layer still in place. This

makes electrical equipment very safe to use.
The live components (including Live and
Neutral wiring) of any electrical appliance In the electrical appliance manufacturing
powered by mains supply electricity should not industry, the IEC protection classes are used to
be immediately accessible to the user. These differentiate between the protective-earth
components must be electrically isolated from connection requirements of devices.
the user. This can be achieved by either Depending on how exactly the protection is
through double-insulation or through the provided, electrical appliances are put into five
earthing of the appliance (the connection of the classes of equipment construction, Class I, II,
chassis to electrical earth by an earth III, 0 and 01. Of these the most important are
conductor). A number of different types of Class I and II, but for reasons of completeness
electrical insulation of electrical appliances all the classes are described below.
and these are listed below.
1 : Appliance Classes
Basic Insulation: The insulation applied to
live parts (e.g. the plastic insulated connectors 1.1 : Class I
that hold the live and neutral wires in place) to
In Class I appliances, the protection is
provide basic protection against electric shock.
provided by a combination of basic insulation
Supplementary Insulation: An independent and the use of electrical earth. These
insulation, applied in addition to basic appliances must have their chassis connected
insulation, in order to ensure protection against to electrical earth by an earth conductor
electric shock in the event of failure of the (coloured yellow/green in most countries,
basic insulation. green in the U.S., Canada and Japan). The
failure of an electrical appliances basic
Double Insulation: Insulation comprising of insulation may cause a metal chassis to
both basic and supplementary insulation. become “live” at full mains voltage. This
failure could occur through faults such as the
Reinforced Insulation: A single insulation incorrect fitting of the flexible chord, or a
system applied to live parts, which provides a short-circuit caused
degree of protection against electric shock by a stray strand of
equivalent to double insulation. wire bridging the
gap to the chassis.
All electrical appliances using mains voltage
must provide at least two levels of protection To safeguard against electric shock from metal
against electrical shock to the user (such as in cased electrical appliances, the metal chassis or
double-insulation). This is to ensure that if one case or any exposed metal of appliances (other
of the protection layers were to fail, there is a than double-insulated items) must incorporate
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 Application Note – AN1102

a Protective Earthing conductor connected to If the basic insulation or the supplementary

the Earth pin of an approved three pin plug insulation breaks down, it will not result in an
incorporating an “Earth” terminal. The Earth electric shock risk. Protection will be afforded
pin is longer than the other two pins so that it by the other system of insulation. The
is first to make contact and the last to break accessible metal parts will become “live” only
contact when the plug is withdrawn. in the event of a breakdown of both insulation
systems. The probability of this occurring is
By connecting to the metal chassis of the very remote provided special care is taken
appliance, the Protective Earth wire keeps all when servicing or repairing double insulated
this metal at Earth potential. What this means electrical appliances to ensure that both
is that it is impossible to get an electric shock insulation barriers remain effective.
even when the chassis is connected directly to
the live voltage. A fault in the appliance which Class II electrical products may be any of the
causes a live conductor to contact the casing following types:
will cause a current to flow in the earth
conductor. This current should trip either an • Double-insulated electrical products which
over current device (fuse or circuit breaker) or comprise both basic insulation and
a residual current circuit breaker which will cut supplementary insulation. In other words,
off the supply of electricity to the appliance. there are two layers of insulation between
the live parts and accessible parts of this
In practice, the most common instance of type of product. In the case of products
faulty earthing are: with outer casing made from insulating
material, the casing will be ranked as one
• Earth connections broken accidently or of the required layers of insulation.
corroded through age. • Reinforced-insulated electrical products
• Earth connections incorrectly made. which comprise single layer of insulation
• Earth connections not made at all. system to the live parts and provide a
• Earth connection removed for some degree of protection against electric shock
specific purpose and not reinstated. equivalent to double insulation.
• Electrical products which have durable
1.2 : Class II
and substantially continuous enclosure
In a Class II appliance, the user is protected by made of insulating material. All metal
at least two layers of insulation between the parts, except small parts such as
current carrying parts and any metal accessible nameplates, screws and rivets which are
to the user. separated from the live parts are enclosed
by insulation at least equivalent to
• Basic Insulation, and reinforced insulation. This type of
• Supplementary Insulation electrical products is called insulation-
encased Class II products.
For this reason, Class II appliances are also • Electrical products which have
known as Double Insulated appliances. They substantially continuous metal enclosure
do not require an Earth connection. In Europe, in which double insulation is used
a double insulated appliance throughout, except for those reinforced-
must be labelled “Class II”, insulated parts where the application of
“double insulated” or bear the double insulation is obviously
double insulation symbol (a impracticable. Such electrical products are
square inside another square). called metal-encased Class II products.

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 Application Note – AN1102

1.3 : Class III • If there is a fuse in the plug, then it is

probably Class I.
Equipment built to the Class III standard is • If it is made of metal it is probably Class I.
designed to be supplied from a special safety
• If the case is plastic so it is probably Class
isolating transformer whose output is known as
II.
Separated Extra-Low Voltage or SELV. This
• If it has a three core cable it is probably
must not exceed 50 V AC and is normally is
Class I.
below 24V or 12V.
• If the plug has a metal Earth pin it is
All Class III
probably Class I.
appliances are
marked as shown None of the above statements is a fool-proof
here. There is no way to identify Class I and Class II appliances
use of an Earth in and the best way is to locate the appliances
Class III appliance. rating plate and see if has the double box mark
(signifying the presence of double-insulation,
The electrical safety of Class III appliances is
which means the appliance is a Class II).
taken care of in the safety isolating transformer
design where the separation between the 3 : Are Class I and Class II appliances just
windings of the transformer is equivalent to as safe?
double insulation. The transformer is marked
as shown here. As both have two levels of protection built in,
they are both safe for general use. However
1.4 : CLASS 0 & 01 with a Class I appliance, one of the layers of
safety is provided by the earth connection. For
This type of equipment is no longer used in
this to be effective, the wiring in the building
business or residential environments. It is just
has to be inspected regularly to check that the
presented here for completeness.
Earth in the mains socket is correctly taken to
Class 0 appliances depend only on basic the local earth potential. Class I appliances
insulation for protection from electric shock depend on the external wiring in the building
and have no provision for connecting metal to fully provide the 2 levels of protection.
earths to a protective conductor. For this
Class II appliances however always provide 2
reason, they do not have 2 levels of protection
levels of protection irrespective of the status of
built in and prohibited from sale.
the wiring installation. Both layers of
In Class 01 appliances, there is provision for protection are built into the design making
an Earth connection, but it is wired with either Class II appliances a lot safer than Class I
twin core cable or only has a 2-pin plug, so an appliances.
Earth cannot be connected. As in Class 0
References
equipment, there is only one level of
protection. For this reason, Class 01 appliances [1] “Handbook of Portable Appliance
are also prohibited sale. Testing”, Seggy T. Segeran,
http://www.firststopsafety.co.uk/download
2 : Identifying Class I & Class II Appliance
s/Chapter4p.pdf
There are a number of superficial observations
[2] “Appliance Classes”, Wikipedia,
that can be made to help identify an appliance
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appliance_cl
as Class I or Class II.
asses

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 Application Note – AN1102

[3] “Electrical Service Technician “A”

(ESTA) Handbook”, Electrical Workers
Registration Board,
http://www.ewrb.govt.nz/content/Handboo
ks/ESTAHANDBOOK-JUNE2006.pdf

[4] “Guidance Notes for the Electrical

Products (Safety) Regulation”,
Occupational Safety & Health Council,
http://www.oshc.org.hk/others/bookshelf/
EB820E.pdf

[5] “Finder General Technical Information”,

Finder, http://www.finder-
relais.net/en/Finder-general-technical-
information-en.pdf

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