Compliance Insights February 2025

March 27, 2025

Regulatory changes

Electrical safety — Australia

Electrical Equipment Safety System (EESS) database updates

EESS regulators have advised UL Solutions that the supplementary fields (including rating plate and product images) in the certification database will remain optional until November 2025. In the interim, third-party certifiers are still able to add this information when they upload the certificate at the request of the certificate holder.

Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) — Australia

Changes to lamp (light bulb) registration requirements

From Oct. 4, 2025, tungsten-filament, carbon-filament and halogen incandescent bulbs that are in scope of the regulations must meet and register under the Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards (GEMS) (Incandescent Lamps for General Lighting Services) Determination 2024.
https://www.energyrating.gov.au/news-and-stories/changes-lamps-light-bulbs-registration-requirements

Proposing minimum energy performance standards for heat pump water heaters
https://www.energyrating.gov.au/news-and-stories/proposing-minimum-energy-performance-standards-heat-pump-water-heaters

Consultation E3 swimming pool pumps: MEPS and star rating calculations are now open
An online forum will be available. Refer to link below for further information.
https://www.energyrating.gov.au/news-and-stories/improving-star-ratings-swimming-pool-pumps
E3 Swimming Pool Pumps – MEPS and star rating calculations - Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water

New standards/amendments published

AS/NZS CISPR 11:2024

Industrial, Scientific and Medical Equipment – Radio-Frequency Disturbance Characteristics – Limits and Methods of Measurement
New edition published Jan. 20, 2025
FYI only

IEC 62841-4-8:2025

Electric Motor-Operated Hand-Held Tools, Transportable Tools and Lawn and Garden Machinery – Safety – Part 4-8: Particular Requirements for Shredders/Chippers
New edition published Jan. 31, 2025
FYI only

IEC 62813:2025

Lithium-Ion Capacitors for Use in Electric and Electronic Equipment – Test Methods for Electrical Characteristics
New edition published Jan. 17, 2025
FYI only

IEC 60335-2-14:2025

Household and Similar Electrical Appliances – Safety – Part 2-14: Particular Requirements for Kitchen Machines
New edition published Feb. 7, 2025

Editorial and technical alignment with IEC 60335-1:2020.
“Berry juice extractor” replaced with “auger juicer,” with an additional defined term (Cl. 3.1.9.101, 3.5.107, 11.7.102, 19.1, 19.7).
Clarification that appliances perform multiple functions specified in the standard; test is carried out with the functions that provide the most unfavourable conditions.
Appliances not intended for use by children are excluded from selected clauses’ assessments and require additional warnings (Cl. 1, 7.12, 20.2, 20.106, 20.118).
Food processors with multiple attachments and functions are operated using the load that results in the most unfavourable conditions; previous edition of standard only required a food processor to be operated as a “food mixer with kneaders for mixing yeast dough” (Cl. 3.1.9.111, 11).
Change of knives’ operating period and cycles during normal operation, addition of lathe-type peelers and modification of operating period for juicers with respect to 0.5 kg carrot load and operating time (Cl. 11).
Additional surface temperatures for external accessible surfaces (Cl. 11.3, 11.8).
Clarification of requirements for remote operation of kitchen machines (Cl. 11.7, 19.7, 22.40, 22.49, 22.51).
Modification of spillage test of Clause 15.2 to address leakage from liquid container.
Additional spillage test for appliances with Type X attachments and inlet connections (Cl. 15.101).
Overfilling test conducted with detachable gaskets left in place and also separately tested with detachable gaskets removed (Cl. 15.2, 15.103).
Clarification of feed opening dimension limits in Clause 20.2.
Addition of requirements if safety relies on electronic circuit for interlock function (Cl. 20.2, 20.104, 20.108, 20.113).
Addition of assessment using Test Probe 18 (finger of child older than 36 months) (Cl. 20.2, 20.104, 20.106, 20.108, 20.113, 20.114, 20.117).
Alternative switch construction (with separate locking device for biased off-switch) assessment for hand-held blenders, food mixers and knives (Cl. 20.103).
Clarification of assessment on blenders (not hand-held) with accessible blades (Cl. 20.104).
Interlock requirements now applicable for all appliances where required for compliance with the standard (Cl. 20.113, 20.114).
Clarification of biased off-switch assessment of cordless appliances with accessible blades (Cl. 20.118).
Updated detergent for centrifugal juicer conditioning (Annex AA).

Draft standards/amendments published

DR AS/NZS 3112:2025

Approval and Test Specification – Plugs and Socket-Outlets
To supersede AS/NZS 3112:2017+A1 with a 24-month transition
The major changes in this edition are as follows:

Addition of Appendix L, containing requirements for socket-outlets with additional protection to restrict access to live parts via aperture sets (such as shutters or covers).
Inclusion of new class of socket-outlet, “socket with clamping or locking mechanism,” defined in Clause 1.4.18.
Additional requirement that plug pins shall be fixed in position and not adjustable to different configurations in Clause 2.13.9.1.
Clause 3.9, “Sockets-outlets for worktop installation,” renamed to “Socket-outlets with a supply flexible cord” (increases number of products within scope of this clause).
Clause 3.10, “Floor socket-outlets,” renamed to “Protection for floor-mounted socket-outlets,” and requirements revised to only “Floor-mounted socket-outlets intended to be installed in the floor shall be protected by a floor box or enclosure conforming to AS/NZS IEC 60670.23” (current Cl. 3.10.1 and 3.10.2 removed).
Clause 3.14.8.3 – Additional withdrawal test using two-pin plug and clarification that this test is conducted without any clamping/locking mechanism engaged.
Clause 3.14.8.4 – Additional withdrawal force tests for sockets with clamping or locking mechanisms.
Clause J.2.1 (b) – Addition of wording, “The detachable connection between the equipment and the plug portion shall not be via a defined plug in IEC TR 60083 or AS/NZS 3112”.
Clause J.3.1 (e) – Addition of exclusion worded, “For detachable plug portions for use in other countries, the plug pin requirements of Clauses J.3.2 to J.3.6 are not applicable”.
Clause J.4.8.1 – Additional requirement worded, “Live parts of the interconnection of the detachable plug portion and the equipment shall not be exposed when the plug portion is partially or fully engaged with the associated equipment”.
Clause J.4.8.4 – Additional test for single spring-assisted contacts in detachable plugs.

Closing date for comments: May 9, 2025

Standards/amendments published but pending application

The following standards have an application date within the next six months.

AS/NZS 60335.2.2:2020 Amendment 1

Household and Similar Electrical Appliances – Safety – Part 2.2: Particular Requirements for Vacuum Cleaners and Water-Suction Cleaning Appliances
Amendment 1 published June 30, 2023
For AS/NZS variation only: Docking stations of automatic battery-operated cleaners are required to be lock-rotor-tested and are considered as unattended appliances during glow wire assessments (Cl. 19.7, 30.2.3).
Date of application: June 30, 2025

AS/NZS 61558.2.16:2022

Safety of Transformers, Reactors, Power Supply Units and Combinations Thereof, Part 2.16: Particular Requirements and Tests for Switch Mode Power Supply Units and Transformers for Switch Mode Power Supply Units for General Applications
New edition published June 24, 2022
Identical adoption of IEC 61558-2-16, Ed. 2.0

Editorial and technical alignment with AS/NZS 61558.1:2018 (IEC 61558-1:2017, Ed. 3.0).
Definitions of different voltage characteristics.
Partial discharge and description of constructions moved to Part 1.
Alternative method for dimensioning of clearances.
Removal of requirements for homogeneous field conditions.
Clarification that transformer is to be tested at 0.9- and 1.1-times rated voltage (Cl. 14.102).
Additional example for determining clearance and creepage distances (Annex CC).

Date of application: June 24, 2025

AS/NZS 62368.1:2022

Audio/video, Information and Communication Technology Equipment, Part 1: Safety Requirements
New edition published June 24, 2022
Modified adoption of IEC 62368-1, Ed. 3.0

Requirements from IEC 60950-22 (outdoor equipment) and IEC 60950-23 (large data storage equipment) incorporated into this standard.
All likely installation positions need to be considered, including nonvertical surfaces, regardless of the user installation instructions (Cl. 4.1.6).
Button battery requirements expanded to cover all chemistries (IEC adoption of AU/NZ difference), not just lithium (IEC only).
General clarifications regarding peak vs. root mean square, along with three-second guidance for repetitive pulses.
Antenna terminal requirements revised to align more with previous IEC 60065 standard requirements (Cl. 5.4.5, 5.5.6).
Requirements for functional earthing (from IEC 60950-1) added (Cl. 5.6.8).
Backfeed safeguard requirements added for battery-backed-up supply capable of backfeeding (Cl. 5.8).
Fire enclosure requirements revised to include parts of previous IEC 60950-1 requirements.
- Stability tests revised (Cl. 8.6).
- Thermal requirements for wireless power transmitters added (Cl. 9.6).
- Optical radiation safeguards revised and clarified (Cl. 10.4).
- References to battery standards updated (IEC 62133-1 alkaline and IEC 62133-2 lithium) or added (IEC 62619 nonportable lithium).
- Television sets and display devices required to be provided with a fixing point or restraining device to prevent equipment from toppling (AU ND 8.6.201 and 8.6.202).