AS NZS 3820-2020 PDF

Full title and description

AS/NZS 3820:2020 — Essential safety requirements for electrical equipment. This joint Australian/New Zealand standard sets out outcome‑oriented safety criteria and essential construction and documentation requirements to ensure electrical equipment is designed and manufactured in accordance with good engineering practice so it does not endanger persons, domestic animals or property when properly installed, maintained and used for its intended application.

Abstract

AS/NZS 3820:2020 provides essential safety requirements for a wide range of electrical equipment intended for use with supply or output voltages not exceeding 1000 V AC or 1500 V DC. The standard defines safety objectives, basic protection principles, documentation and conformity expectations, and how compliance with product standards or other evidence may be used to demonstrate conformity. It is intended to support manufacturers, suppliers and regulators in demonstrating that electrical equipment is electrically safe and meets the safety criteria used by Australian and New Zealand authorities.

General information

• Status: Current
• Publication date: 26 June 2020
• Publisher: Standards Australia (joint Australian/New Zealand standard)
• ICS / categories: ICS 29 — Electrical engineering / Electrotechnology and energy
• Edition / version: AS/NZS 3820:2020 (2020 edition; revises AS/NZS 3820:2009)
• Number of pages: 16

Scope

AS/NZS 3820:2020 applies to electrical equipment designed for use with a supply voltage or having an output voltage not exceeding 1000 volts alternating current (AC) or 1500 volts direct current (DC). It covers equipment intended for generation, conversion, transmission, distribution, storage or utilisation of electricity. The standard establishes essential safety criteria and documentation requirements to demonstrate that equipment is constructed in accordance with good engineering practice so as not to create electrical hazards under normal use and foreseeable misuse. (Special types of equipment such as medical electrical equipment or equipment used in hazardous areas may be subject to additional or different essential safety requirements.)

Key topics and requirements

• Essential safety objectives and outcome‑based safety criteria for electrical equipment.
• Voltage applicability limits — equipment with supply/output ≤1000 V AC or ≤1500 V DC.
• Requirement to apply good engineering practice in design and construction to prevent danger to persons, animals and property.
• Use of relevant product standards and IEC standards as means to demonstrate conformity; guidance where product standards are inadequate or inapplicable.
• Documentation and technical file expectations (design data, drawings, test reports, list of applied standards) to support conformity assessment.
• Conformity demonstration principles for suppliers and manufacturers (including duties under Australian/New Zealand regulatory frameworks such as the Electrical Equipment Safety System where applicable).
• Notes on additional essential safety requirements for specialised equipment (for example medical devices, equipment for hazardous areas).

Typical use and users

Primary users include manufacturers and designers of electrical equipment, conformity assessment bodies and test laboratories, regulatory authorities and market surveillance bodies in Australia and New Zealand, importers and suppliers who must demonstrate electrical safety, and product safety engineers who develop compliance documentation and technical construction files. Installers and specifiers may use the standard to understand essential safety expectations that complement product‑specific standards and wiring rules.

Related standards

Typical related standards and publications referenced alongside AS/NZS 3820 include: AS/NZS 3000 (Electrical installations — Wiring Rules), relevant product‑specific AS/NZS and IEC standards for particular types of equipment (for example IEC 60335 series for household appliances, IEC 61010 series for laboratory equipment), and the earlier AS/NZS 3820:2009 (superseded by the 2020 edition). The standard is intended to be used together with applicable product standards and national regulatory guidance for electrical equipment safety.

Keywords

essential safety requirements, electrical equipment, good engineering practice, conformity assessment, supply voltage limits, technical documentation, AS/NZS 3820, electrical safety, EESS

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: AS/NZS 3820:2020 is a joint Australian/New Zealand standard that sets out essential, outcome‑focused safety requirements for electrical equipment to ensure it is electrically safe for persons, animals and property when used as intended.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers essential safety criteria, basic protection principles and documentation/conformity expectations for electrical equipment designed for use with a supply or output voltage not exceeding 1000 V AC or 1500 V DC, and intended for generation, conversion, transmission, distribution, storage or utilisation of electricity.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Manufacturers, suppliers, conformity assessment bodies, test laboratories, regulatory agencies in Australia and New Zealand, product safety engineers and installers who need to demonstrate or assess electrical safety and compliance with national requirements.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: AS/NZS 3820:2020 is the current edition (published 26 June 2020) and revises the earlier AS/NZS 3820:2009.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: It is a standalone essential safety requirements standard intended to be used together with product‑specific AS/NZS or IEC standards and with national regulatory frameworks (for example wiring rules and electrical equipment safety systems). It complements, rather than replaces, product standards that apply to specific categories of equipment.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Essential safety requirements, electrical equipment, good engineering practice, conformity, supply voltage, technical documentation, AS/NZS 3820.