EBME Forums Forums Maintenance Technical Assistance IEC 1010-1 or EN 61010-1

Does anyone know the earth leakage limit to comply with this standard? (It's the laboratory equipment standard) I,ve got a centrifuge with 1.4mA leakage

Sounds a bit high to me! 500 micro-amps is the usual upper limit, is it not?

Is this a new piece of kit, Seppy? What are the conditions under which you're getting that reading? Suspect faulty capacitor!

See this earlier thread.

It may be a mains filter/suppressor but I have seen a power supply that claims compliance (to this standard) and actually quotes 1.5mA leakage. Does anyone know what the standard actually says?

Regardless ... are you talking about "risk current" ("touch current" ... enclosure leakage current with open circuit protective earth ... or whatever it is people like to call it)? If so, the thing is potentially hazardous (in my opinion)!

Is this a new piece of kit? Or something that's n years old?

This is normal condition Earth Leakage, which would become touch current in the event of an earth failure .It's a year old but is CE marked and claims to comply with the above standard

It's potentially hazardous! And the CE mark means nothing (as I have mentioned before). What matters is practical testing, as you have done. How did it fair with the insulation test, I wonder?

Are you able to "name names" (that is, tell us what this piece of equipment is)?

Hi Seppy

IEC / En 61010 states that touch leakage measurements are only required if the measured touch voltage is >33V (>55V SFC). Limits for touch current are 0.5mA normal condition and 3.5mA SFC (open Earth).

Hope this helps.
John

It passes the insulation test(>20Mohm) and I haven't measured "touch voltage" but it is below the 3.5mA SFC figure anyway' so it does, indeed comply with its claimed standard. The question is, however, is this standard ( for laboratory equipment) acceptable in the hospital setting where it does not operate within the patient environment. I agree that it is a potential hazard to staff but this IS the laboratory standard. Why should a laboratory in a hospital be different to a laboratory elsewhere?

Hi Seppy,

You are right that laboratory standard differs from medical electrical equipment standard. Laboratory equipment generally involve the interaction between the end users and the equipment and therefore enclosure leakage can be higher than the medical electrical equipment. The leakage current for centrifuge are generally higher compared to other laboratory equipment. What is most important is to ensure the earth conductor is always intact during maintenance be it corrective or preventive maintenance. In this way risk is reduced.

Regards

Does the unit have carbon brushes on the motor? If it is full of carbon dust just try blowing the unit out with an air line and give it a good clean. This may solve your problem.

Regards

Paul