SIST IEC/TR2 60479-1:2000

Overview

IEC TS 60479-1:1994 - Effects of current on human beings and livestock (Part 1: General aspects) is a technical report and basic safety publication (per IEC Guide 104) that provides guidance on the physiological and safety implications of electrical shock currents. It summarizes the state of knowledge available to IEC technical committee TC64 and serves as a reference for establishing protection requirements against electric shock. The report is also intended as a practical guide for other IEC committees, regulators and countries that need authoritative information on shock effects.

Key topics

This part focuses on general aspects and includes discussion and guidance on:

• Mechanisms of electric shock and the ways current interacts with biological tissue
• Factors influencing injury such as current path, magnitude, duration and waveform/frequency
• Differences between humans and livestock in susceptibility and exposure scenarios
• Physiological effects and typical outcomes associated with exposure to shock currents
• Data synthesis - summarizing experimental and field results available up to publication
• Use of the information for limits and protection - how results inform the setting of safety requirements
• Guidance for standards development - how IEC committees (notably TC64) can use the report to derive protective measures

Note: The document is descriptive and synthesizes available results; it provides the scientific basis rather than prescriptive numerical limits in isolation.

Applications

IEC TS 60479-1:1994 is valuable for practical uses that include:

• Informing the development of electrical safety rules and protection measures
• Supporting risk assessments and safety case development for electrical installations
• Guiding safety engineers and designers in selecting protective devices and strategies
• Assisting regulators and standards bodies when specifying occupational and public safety requirements
• Providing context for medical and forensic analysis of electric shock incidents
• Advising utilities, industrial safety teams and agricultural operations on livestock protection and emergency procedures

Who should use this standard

• Standards writers and technical committees (e.g., IEC TC64)
• Electrical safety engineers and designers
• Regulatory authorities and compliance officers
• Power utilities, contractors and installers
• Occupational health & safety professionals
• Researchers in bioelectromagnetics and medical fields
• Agricultural/livestock managers concerned with electrical hazards

Related standards and guidance

• Other parts of the IEC 60479 series that address more specific topics and detailed assessment methods
• IEC Guide 104 for the status and use of basic safety publications in standards development

Keywords: IEC TS 60479-1:1994, effects of current on human beings, shock currents, electrical safety, protection against shock, livestock, TC64, IEC Guide 104.