CENELEC and IEC technical committees

CLC TC 23BX D.C. PLUGS AND SOCKET-OUTLETS AND SWITCHES FOR HOUSEHOLD AND SIMILAR FIXED ELECTRICAL INSTALLATIONS

• a) To prepare standards for general purpose switches including electronic switches, time-delay switches, remote control switches and isolating switches, Fireman's switches, for a.c. only, with rated voltage not exceeding 440 V and with a maximum rated current not exceeding 125A, intended for household and similar purposes, either indoors or outdoors.
• b) To prepare standards for switches and related accessories for use in Home and Building Electronic Systems (HBES), with a working voltage not exceeding 250 V a.c. and a rated current up to and including 16 A, intended for household and similar purposes, either indoors or outdoors and to associate electronic extension units. 
• c) To prepare standards for general purpose plugs and fixed and portable socket-outlets, with a rated voltage exceeding 440 V d.c. and rated current not exceeding 10A, intende to be used in restricted access areas where only skilled or instructed people have access.
• d) To prepare standards for general purpose boxes and enclosures for household devices, boxes and enclosures with provision for suspension means, connecting boxes and enclosures, floor boxes and enclosures, enclosures for housing protective devices and similar power conuming devices with a rated voltage not exceeding 440 V, intended for household and similar purposes, either indoors or outdoors.
• e) To prepare standards for ancillary products which relate to/incorporate products covered by a), b), c), e.g. luminaire couplers, adaptors/cable reels, indicator light units, etc.

CLC TC 23E CIRCUIT BREAKERS AND SIMILAR DEVICES FOR HOUSEHOLD AND SIMILAR APPLICATIONS (in addition  there exists TC004 which represent the European manufacturers of TC 23E)

• To prepare harmonized standards for electrical circuit breakers for overcurrent protection, devices protecting against electric shock and alla related accessories. These devices are used for household and similar purposes. The word "similar" includes locations such as offices, commercial and industrial premises, hospitals, public buildings, etc. This equipment is intended for fixed installations or for use in or with appliances or other equipment. This equipment may include electronic components.

CLC TC 213 CABLE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

• To prepare European standards publications for products and systems used to management of all types of cable, information and communication lines, electrical power distribution conductors and associated accessories. Management includes support and/or containment and/or retention and/or protection against external influences.
  

CLC TC 64 ELECTRICAL INSTALLATIONS AND PROTECTION AGAINST ELECTRIC SHOCK

• To prepare harmonized standards (HDs and ENs) - concerning protection against electric shock arising from equipment, from installations and from systems without limit of voltage; 

- for design, erection and verification of all kinds of low-voltage electrical installations, except those installations covered by the following CENELEC Technical Committees: TC 9X, TC 44X; 

- in co-ordination with TC 99X, concerning requirements additional to those of TC99X for the design, erection and verification of electrical installations of building above 1 kV up to 35 kV. the objects of the standards shall be - to lay down requirements for the safety aspects of the design, erection and verification of electrical installations and co-ordination of electrical equipments;

- to lay down safety requirements for protection against electric shock;

- to lay down safety requirements for protection against other hazards arising from the use of electricity and - to facilitate European exchanges that may be hampered by differences in national regulations. 

The standards will not cover individual items of electrical equipment other that their selection and erection in an installation. 

IEC TC 64 ELECTRICAL INSTALLATIONS AND PROTECTION AGAINST ELECTRIC SHOCK

• To prepare international standards:

- concerning protection against electric shock arising from equipment, from installations and from systems without limit of voltage;

- for the design, erection and verification of all kind of electrical installations at supply voltage up to 1kV a.c., except those installations covered by the following IEC committees: TC9, TC18, TC44, TC71, TC97;

- in co-ordination with TC99, concerning requirements additional to those of Tc99 for the design, erection and verification of electrical installations of building above 1kV up to 35kV.

The object of the standards shall be:

- to lay down requirements for installation and co-ordination of electrical equipment;

- to lay down basic safety requirements for protection against electric shock for use by technical committees;

- to lay down safety requirements for protection against other hazards arising from the use of electricity;

- to give general guidance to IEC member countries that may have need of such requirements;

- and to facilitate international exchange that may be hampered by differences in national regulations.

The standards will not cover individual items of electrical equipment other than their selection for use.

IEC SC 23A CABLE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

To prepare international standards for products and systems used for the management of all types cables, information and communication lines, electrical power distribution conductors and associated accessories. Management includes support and/or containment and/or retention and/or protection against external influences.

IEC SC 23B PLUGS, SOCKET-OUTLETS AND SWITCHES

• a) To prepare standards for general purpose switches including electronic switches, time-delay switches and remote control switches, for a.c. only, with rated voltage not exceeding 440 V, and with a maximum rated current not exceeding 63 A, intended for household and similar purposes, either indoors or outdoors.
• b) To prepare standards for switches and related accessories for use in House and building Electronic Systems (HBES), with a working voltage not exceeding 250V a.c. a rated current up to and including 16A, intended for household and similar purposes, either indoors or outdoors and to associated electronic extension units.
• c) To prepare standards for general purposes plugs and fixed and portable socket-outlets for appliances, switched socket-outlets with and without interlock, plugs and socket-outlets for SELV, with a rated voltage not exceeding 32 A, intended for household and similar purposes, either indoors or outdoors.
• d) To prepare standards for boxes enclosures for household devices with a rated voltage not exceeding 440 V, intended for household and similar purposes, either indoors or outdoors. These standards are applicable to boxes enclosures intended to house accessories which are in the field of other TC 23 sub-committees and are produced in conjunction with other sub-committees.
• e) To prepare standards for ancillary products which relate/ incorporate products covered by a), b), c) e.g. Luminaire couplers, adaptators/cable reels, etc.

IEC SC 23C WORLD-WIDE PLUG AND SOCKET-OUTLET SYSTEMS

• To prepare dimensional standards for a world-wide unified system for plugs, socket-outlets and couplers for cord-extension sets for household and similar general purposes.
• To elaborate the basic characteristics of a modular system, if possible suitable for all kinds of household installations and the definition of principles for its use.
• To co-ordinate information for the introduction of the unified system and to make all efforts to ensure the harmonization of supplementary or transitional configurations necessary for certain countries, as stated by TC 64.

IEC SC 23E CIRCUIT-BREAKERS AND SIMILAR EQUIPMENT FOR HOUSEHOLD USE

• to prepare standards for:
  • circuit-breakers and residual current devices of rated currents not exceeding 125 A and rated voltages not exceeding 440 V for protection against overcurrents and/or against electric shock in domestic and similar installations;
  • residual current devices for monitoring the conditions of insulation of domestic and similar installations;
  • circuit-breakers of rated currents not exceeding 125 A and rated voltages not exceeding 440 V designed to protect equipment for use in domestic and similar installations;
  • electromechanical contactors for household and similar purposes;
  • protective devices for battery-powered vehicle supplies.

The standards concern devices intended to be used by unskilled and uninstructed persons in installations or equipment not subject to maintenance and contain all specifications necessary for certification purposes:

Close coordination is held with the work of SC 17B on standards for similar switchgear for general use.

The work of the subcommitteess takes into acccount the specifications prepared by SC 28A, SC 77A and by TC 64.

IEC SC 23F CONNECTING DEVICES

• a) To prepare standards for clamping units for connecting devices for the connection of electrical conductors having a cross-sectional area of 0,2 mm² up to and including 35 mm² copper conductors and up to amd including 50 mm² aluminium conductors with a rated voltage not exceeding 1000 V a.c. and 1500 V d.c. intended for house gold and similar purposes.
• b)  to prepare standards for connecting devices as separate entities for the connection of two or more electrical conductors having a cross-sectional area of 0,2 mm² up to and including 35 mm² copper conductors and up to and including 50 mm² aluminium conductors with a rated voltage not exceeding 1000 V a.c. and 1500 V d.c. intended for household  and similar purposes.
• c) to prepare standards for male and mating female flat quick-connect terminations for use as either and incorporated or an integrated part of an equipment or of a component, or as a separate entity, for connecting electrical copper conductors up to and including 6 mm² with a rated voltage not exceeding 1000 V a.c. and 1500 V d.c. intended for household and similar purposes.

Safety Group Function for:

Connecting devices, either as separate entities or as integral parts of an end product, primarily for connecting external electrical supply conductors, for use with conductor cross-sectional area of 0,2 mm² up to and including 35 mm² copper conductors and up to including 50 mm² aluminium conductors, but excluding connecting devices intended for data and signal circuits.

IEC SC 23G APPLIANCE COUPLERS

To prepare standards sheets, tests and requirements for safety and interchangeability of the couplers, which allow for detachable connections between flexible cords and electrical appliances or equipment, and between parts of multi-part appliances. The appliances or equipment may have a detachable input connection and also detachable output connections to other appliances or equipment. the couplers are not intended for use in fixed installations.

SC 23G is responsible for the international standards: IEC 60320 Series as well as for IEC 60799.

IEC SC 23H INDUSTRIAL PLUGS AND SOCKET-OUTLETS

To prepare standards for plugs, sockets outlets and couplers suitable for use in industrial, commercial, private or public locations, either indoors or outdoors.

To prepare standards for other accessories, such as industrial cable reels among others, intended for use with industrial plugs, socket-outlets and couplers.

To prepare standards for connection products intended for the connection of electric vhicles to the supply network and/or to dedicated supply equipment.

The rated voltages of products covered by these stanadards lie within IEC 60038. 

IEC SC 23J SWITCHES FOR APPLIANCES

To prepare standards for switches (mechanical, electromechanical or electronic) for appliances actuated by hand, by foot or by other human activity, to operate or control electrical appliances and other equipment for household or similar purposes with a rated voltage not exceeding 440 V and a rated current not exceeding 63A.

It covers also the general requirements and test methods for electromechanical switches with optional quality assurance procedures.