Product Safety · Hazloc Labs

Low Voltage Directive (LVD): Electrical Safety Basics for CE Hardware

The Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/EU (LVD) covers electrical equipment designed for use within defined voltage limits (AC 50–1000 V, DC 75–1500 V, with exclusions). For a huge range of mains-powered hardware, LVD is the CE electrical-safety anchor.

What LVD expects

• Equipment does not endanger health and safety of persons, domestic animals, or property when properly installed and maintained
• Conformity assessment typically via internal production control with technical documentation (Annex III) — Notified Body is not the default
• CE marking, EU Declaration of Conformity, and instructions

Standards selection (illustrative)

Product type	Common EN route
IT / AV / ICT equipment	EN IEC 62368-1 (hazard-based)
Household appliances	EN 60335 series
Luminaires	EN 60598 series
Machinery electrical equipment	Often EN 60204-1 (with Machinery legislation)

Presumption of conformity comes from correctly applying relevant harmonized standards listed in the Official Journal — track editions.

Engineering pitfalls

• Creepage/clearance and insulation coordination ignored until the safety lab fails the sample
• Plastic enclosure flammability and openings not designed for the standard’s criteria
• PSU or battery subsystem swapped without re-evaluation
• Assuming UL reports alone equal LVD without checking construction differences and EN editions

File essentials

Product description, schematics, critical component list, insulation diagram, test reports, risk/essential-requirements checklist, label drawings, and user instructions. Pair LVD with EMC (and RED if radios are present) in one applicability matrix.

FAQ

Is battery-only USB gear in LVD scope?

Often not under LVD voltage limits if no covered voltages are present — but other legislation (EMC, RED, GPSR, RoHS) may still apply. Classify carefully.

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