The low voltage Directive sets essential requirements with respect to the electrical safety of electrotechnical products. The low voltage Directive was established as early as 1973. This makes it the first Directive formulated according to the method of the "New Approach". This means only the general requirements are drawn up in the Directive, without the technical details being formulated specifically. However, the low voltage Directive of 1973 does not include the obligation to affix the CE Marking. The Directive was changed to this end in 1993. As from 1st January 1997, this obliges every manufacturer or importer to affix the CE Marking to the products covered by the scope of the low voltage Directive.
The low voltage Directive is applicable to all equipment or machines requiring a voltage that lies between:
- 50 - 1000 Volt for AC voltage, or;
- 75 - 1500 Volt for DC voltage.
An important element of this Directive is danger of electric shocks with all the consequences that this entails. Besides the electric-shock hazard, distinction is also made between other dangers. Hazardous situations may result from not being able to withstand deviations that can (may) occur on the power network.
