Learn when the Low Voltage Directive applies and how risk assessment, technical documentation, internal production control and the EU Declaration of Conformity fit together.
When does the Low Voltage Directive apply?
Directive 2014/35/EU applies to electrical equipment designed for use with a voltage rating between 50 and 1,000 V AC or between 75 and 1,500 V DC. The Directive also contains explicit exclusions.
Check the intended voltage range and product category. Other safety rules may still apply to equipment outside these ranges.
Which safety aspects must be assessed?
The manufacturer assesses risks associated with the equipment and demonstrates that the Annex I safety objectives are met. This includes more than electric shock and can cover temperatures, arcs, mechanical effects, radiation and other hazards caused by the equipment.
Harmonised standards are voluntary but may provide a presumption of conformity for the requirements they cover.
What belongs in the technical documentation?
Annex III requires documentation that enables conformity to be assessed, including an adequate analysis and assessment of risks.
General product description and unambiguous identification
Design and manufacturing drawings, circuit diagrams and explanations
Applied harmonised standards or justified alternative solutions
Design calculations, examinations and test results
Test reports and information about production control
EU Declaration of Conformity under Annex IV
Which conformity procedure applies?
The Directive uses internal production control under Module A. The manufacturer prepares the technical documentation, assesses conformity and ensures production remains consistent with that documentation and the applicable requirements.
After conformity is demonstrated, the manufacturer issues the EU Declaration of Conformity and affixes CE marking. Documentation and declaration are generally retained for ten years.
Relationship with other product rules
Electrical equipment is often also subject to the EMC Directive and may fall under the Radio Equipment Directive when it includes radio functionality. Substantiate every applicable rule in the same dossier and declaration.
Assess not only electrical safety, but also which other directives or regulations apply because of the product’s functions and configuration.
How DME-CE supports the Low Voltage Directive
DME-CE’s built-in questionnaire helps determine whether the Low Voltage Directive is relevant based on factors including product type and voltage range. Where the Directive applies, its essential safety requirements are selected for assessment within the product or project.
The team connects each applicable requirement to the risk analysis, design decisions, drawings, calculations, applied standards and test results. Open requirements remain visible, while evidence, revisions and the EU Declaration of Conformity are managed in the same dossier.
DME-CE structures assessment and evidence, but does not perform the electrical safety assessment or product testing. The manufacturer remains responsible for technical content and conformity.