CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND RETAIL E-SSENTIALS

CHINA: ENFORCEMENT OF AUDIO/VIDEO, INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY EQUIPMENT — PART 1: SAFETY REQUIREMENTS, STANDARD GB 4943.1-2022

SEPTEMBER 2023 - ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONICS

In force (since Aug 01, 2023)

On 19 July 2022, the Standardization Administration of China (SAC) published national standard GB 4943.1-2022 on Audio/video, Information and Communication Technology Equipment - Part 1: Safety Requirements, based on IEC 62368-1:2018, with some national technical differences. This standard replaces GB 4943.1-2011 and GB 8898.2011. 

The new version of the GB 4943 applies to "Safety requirements for electronic equipment in the fields of audio and video, information technology and communication technology, business and office", audio, TV, computer, printer, mobile phone and supporting charging devices, etc., which fall within the scope of this standard. The new version of GB 4943 classifies hazards and uses safety engineering principles to take corresponding safety protection measures for different hazards, which makes the standard structure more reasonable, content clearer, and more convenient to use. The new GB 4943 considers six types of hazards: injury caused by electricity, fire caused by electricity, injury caused by harmful substances, injury caused by machinery, thermal burns, and sound and light radiation, and corresponding regulations are proposed for these six types of hazards.

The revision of the new GB 4943 national standard adopts the third edition of the international standard IEC 62368-1:2018. At the same time, based on the actual situation of China’s geographical environment, climatic conditions and power supply system, it mainly introduces technical differences including the following points: 

1. Based on China’s particular power supply and distribution conditions for buildings, electronic products cannot completely rely on the protection devices in building facilities to provide protection. The new version of GB 4943 calls for stricter safety protection measures, requiring electronic products themselves to have corresponding overcurrent protection devices, protection grounds and signal grounds need to take isolation measures, etc.
2. Based on China’s specific geographical conditions, technical differences in safety requirements have been added. For example, international standards are mainly formulated for areas below 2000m above sea level, while nearly one-third of China’s land area is over 2000m above sea level, with a large population living there. The air is thinner, and electrical breakdown is more likely to occur, causing electric shock injuries. For people in high-altitude areas to use electronic products safely, the new GB 4943 requires stricter requirements for air insulation when designing and manufacturing electronic products.
3. Based on China’s climatic conditions, technical differences in safety requirements have been added. Considering that there are many areas with tropical climates, the high temperature and high humidity in this climate will reduce the insulation performance of materials. The new version of GB 4943 fully considers the impact of this tropical climate and introduces corresponding technical differences to ensure the safety of electronic products used by consumers in tropical climates.

This standard will come into force on 1 August 2023.

Official link:
https://openstd.samr.gov.cn/bzgk/gb/newGbInfo?hcno=862145EBF14F5CC3771FC64CE94A48DF

HOW DOES THIS IMPACT YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS?

CONTACT US TO DISCUSS.

TÜV SÜD has dedicated experts to assist you in the development of consumer products and meeting applicable regulations. Through a global network of laboratories, TÜV SÜD offers a wide range of services that includes chemical tests, physical or mechanical tests as well as inspections to ensure the compliance of your products in target markets.