About the Standard
Scope title: fire hazard testing (electrotechnical products)
IEC 60695 is a standard published by International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). It publishes international standards for electrical, electronic and related technologies; it is the foundation of the EMC and electrical safety body of work. CISPR publications belong to a special committee within the IEC.
See the other 102 codes from IECCoverage areas
Fire Testing — What Does This Testing Field Cover?
The section below describes the field that code IEC 60695 belongs to; it is not the text of the standard or the regime itself. The scope title of the code is given above, and technical requirements are shared at the quotation stage.
Fire testing measures two different concepts, and confusing them is the most common mistake in the field. REACTION to fire describes how much a material contributes to the start and growth of a fire. RESISTANCE to fire is the ability of a building element to hold a fire back for a defined period. One is a material property, the other a property of an element.
On the reaction side, ignitability, flame spread, heat release, smoke production, flaming droplets and toxic gas release are measured. The result is translated into an EN 13501-1 class in Europe, ASTM E84 indices in North America and a UL 94 class for appliance plastics. These three systems cannot be converted into one another; their scales and set-ups differ.
On the resistance side, furnace tests are carried out. The element is exposed to a defined temperature-time curve and it is measured how long it maintains three functions: load bearing (R), integrity (E) and insulation (I). For a fire door, the designation EI 60 says the element maintains its integrity and insulating function for sixty minutes.
SCALE is decisive in this family and directly affects cost. Small flame tests are suitable for screening materials and are fast and inexpensive. But real fire behaviour changes with scale: a material that self-extinguishes on a small specimen may sustain a flame over a large surface. Large-scale set-ups such as the room corner test and full-scale facade tests are therefore indispensable in critical applications.
Facade systems have become the most sensitive subject in the field in recent years. The rapid spread of facade fires in tall buildings has led national regulations to require large-scale facade testing. What is assessed here is not a single material but the SYSTEM: insulation, cladding, air cavity, fixings and fire barriers are tested together.
Smoke and toxicity form a separate body of work, because most deaths in a fire are caused by smoke rather than flame. In rail systems and on ships, smoke density and gas toxicity measurements are mandatory items; in an enclosed space the time available for evacuation depends on these values.
Cables have a sub-body of their own. A cable bundle inside a building can form a serious path for fire to spread between floors; flame spread, smoke production, halogen content and circuit integrity are therefore assessed for cables under separate standards, and in Europe the EN 13501-6 classification is used.
Method groups in this field
Non-combustibility and calorific value
The EN ISO 1182 non-combustibility furnace and EN ISO 1716 gross calorific value; the determinants of classes A1 and A2.
Single burning item (SBI)
EN 13823; heat release, flame spread and smoke production are measured together in a medium-scale corner set-up.
Small flame
Ignitability with a single flame source to EN ISO 11925-2; UL 94 horizontal and vertical burning; needle flame and glow wire.
Cone calorimeter
ISO 5660 / ASTM E1354; heat release rate, total heat release and smoke production are measured. The most informative test in material development.
Fire resistance
Furnace tests with the standard temperature-time curve; separate set-ups for doors, walls, floors, glazing and service penetrations.
Large scale
Room corner test (ISO 9705, NFPA 286), facade fire tests and vertical flame spread tests on cable bundles.
Smoke and toxicity
Optical smoke density, smoke gas analysis and toxicity indices; mandatory in rail systems and marine.
Commonly confused in this field
- Reaction to fire and resistance to fire are different concepts; the specification must be explicit about which is required.
- UL 94, ASTM E84 and EN 13501-1 results cannot be converted into one another.
- A small-scale result is not evidence of large-scale behaviour; large-scale testing is required in critical applications.
- A class is valid together with the end-use installation of the product; a different substrate or air cavity changes the result.
- For facade systems a result for a single material is not sufficient; the system must be tested as a whole.
- The fire class of a product does not show the fire resistance of an assembly made from it.
Which decisions these results support
- The fire class in the declaration of performance for construction products
- Regulatory compliance in the selection of cables, flooring and interior linings
- Approval of interior materials for rail vehicles, ships and aircraft
- Approval of the facade system design
- Meeting insurance and project specification requirements
Structure of the Code
- Published by
- IEC
- Serial number
- 60695
- Part
- without partition
Codes in the library without release year is kept. The current version changes over time; If the year is specified in your specification, that version is taken as basis, if not specified, the most current version is applied.
Scope
Related Tests and Services
A separate test page based on this code has not yet been released. The code falls within the scope of the following test families.
Technical Requirements
Standard texts are copyright of the relevant organization; test condition, sample and acceptance criteria cannot be fitted here.
Technical requirements specific to your product, once we clarify the scope At offer stage shared in writing.
Relevant Product Groups and Legislation
This code is included in the standard tag of the product pages below.
These product pages carry notes for the following markets: European Union, United Kingdom, USA, China. Whether the standard is mandatory in the relevant market varies depending on the product group and the applicable legislation.
Regulations published with this code on the same product pages:
- 2014/35/EULVDThe Low Voltage Directive. Governs the electrical safety of equipment operating in the 50–1000 V AC range; the manufacturer makes the declaration, with no notified body involvement.
- 2014/30/EUEMCThe Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive. Covers both the interference a device emits into its environment (emission) and its resistance to interference from outside (immunity).
- (AB) 2019/2023EcodesignEcodesign requirements for washing machines and washer-dryers. Sets thresholds for energy and water consumption and washing/rinsing effectiveness.
- (AB) 2019/2014Energy LabelEnergy labelling for washing machines. Class, water consumption and programme duration are declared on the label; EPREL registration is mandatory.
- 2011/65/EURoHSRestriction of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment; an integral part of the CE declaration.
- 2012/19/ABWEEEWaste electrical and electronic equipment. Requires product marking and registration with the collection system.
- (AB) 2019/2020EcodesignEcodesign requirements for light sources. Covers efficiency, colour consistency, switching-cycle durability and product-information requirements.
- (AB) 2019/2015Energy LabelEnergy labelling for light sources. An A–G class and EPREL registration are mandatory.
- (EC) 1907/2006REACHRegistration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals. Creates a notification obligation for SVHC substances in the product's content.
- (EU) 2023/1542Batteries RegulationSustainability, safety and transparency for batteries. Carbon footprint declaration, recycled content and the battery passport apply on a staged timetable.
- UN Manual of Tests and CriteriaUN 38.3Transport safety of lithium cells and batteries. The T1–T8 test series is applied in the defined order; shipment cannot proceed without a report.
- (EU) 2023/988GPSRThe General Product Safety Regulation. Establishes a safety framework for aspects not covered by sector-specific legislation.
- 2014/53/EUREDThe Radio Equipment Directive. Spectrum, EMC and electrical safety are assessed together on the radio interface; the 3.3(d)(e)(f) cybersecurity articles apply from 1 August 2025.
- (EU) 2024/2847CRAThe Cyber Resilience Act. Cybersecurity requirements for products with digital elements; reporting from 11 September 2026, full application from 11 December 2027.
- (AB) 2022/2380Common Charging InterfaceA common charging solution for certain radio equipment. A USB-C interface and declaration of charging information on the label are mandatory.
- (AB) 2023/1670Ecodesign (smartphones)Ecodesign requirements for smartphones and tablets. Sets requirements for durability, repairability, spare parts and software-update duration.
- (AB) 2023/1669Energy Label (smartphones)Energy labelling for smartphones and tablets; battery life, drop resistance and a repair score are declared on the label.
- (EU) 2017/745MDRThe Medical Device Regulation. Classification (I, IIa, IIb, III), clinical evaluation, technical documentation and post-market surveillance obligations; the notified body's role grows as the class rises.
- (EU) 2017/746IVDRThe In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices Regulation. In vitro diagnostic devices fall under this regulation instead of the MDR.
- (AB) 2017/745 art. 33EUDAMEDThe European medical device database. From 28 May 2026, the actor registration, UDI/device, certificate and market surveillance modules are mandatory; placing on the market is not possible without a valid SRN.
- 2006/42/ATMachinery Directive (overlap)Relevant essential requirements also apply to medical devices that also qualify as machinery.
- (EU) 2023/1230Machinery RegulationReplaces 2006/42/EC and becomes mandatory on 20 January 2027 with no further transition period. Requires notified-body involvement for Annex I high-risk machinery.
- 2014/34/ABATEXEquipment and protective systems used in explosive atmospheres. The category and conformity route are determined by zone classification.
- 2000/14/ATNoise EmissionNoise emitted into the environment by outdoor equipment. Machinery within scope requires a sound-power-level declaration and marking.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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