This part of IEC 60695-1 provides general guidance on how to reduce to acceptable levels the risk of fire and the potential effects of fires involving electrotechnical products. It also serves as a signpost standard to the other guidance publications in the IEC 60695 series.

It describes the relationship between fire risk and the potential effects of fire, and provides guidance to IEC product committees on the applicability of qualitative and quantitative fire tests to the fire hazard assessment of electrotechnical products.

It emphasises the importance of the scenario approach to fire hazard and risk assessment and discusses criteria intended to ensure the development of technically sound hazard-based fire test methods.

It discusses the different types of fire tests, in particular, the nature of qualitative and quantitative fire tests. It also describes the circumstances under which it is appropriate for IEC product committees to maintain or develop qualitative fire tests.

This standard is intended as guidance to IEC committees, and should be used with respect to their individual applications.

This basic safety publication is intended for use by technical committees in the preparation of standards in accordance with the principles laid down in IEC Guide 104 and ISO/IEC Guide 51.

One of the responsibilities of a technical committee is, wherever applicable, to make use of basic safety publications in the preparation of its publications. The requirements, test methods or test conditions of this basic safety publication will not apply unless specifically referred to or included in the relevant publications.