Your IT Product Isn’t Just Electronics Anymore
Welcome to The Safety Desk, Product Safety Consulting’s FAQ series dedicated to answering the most common and critical questions in product safety and regulatory compliance.
If you’re building an information technology product in 2025, chances are it’s multitasking with the best of us. While increased functionality is great in theory, these products are often ill-equipped to do more with less space, more power density, and more wireless links.
Today’s IT products span an enormous range: laptops, servers, networking gear, wearables, displays, data center equipment — connected devices that defy neat categories. The great IT equalizer comes in the form of UL/IEC 62368-1, the global safety standard for audio, video, information, and communication technology equipment.
And here’s the part many companies’ underestimate: 62368 was less of a routine follow up to its predecessor, 60950, than it was a groundbreaking certification that comes with both challenges and innovation opportunities for manufacturers.
What Is UL/IEC 62368 & Why Did It Replace Older IT Safety Standards?
Information technology products cover far more ground than they used to. Laptops, servers, networking equipment, displays, power supplies, data center infrastructure, wearables, and connected products that defy traditional categories all fall under UL/IEC 62368-1, the international safety standard for audio, video, information, and communication technology equipment.
Unlike older standards such as UL 60950, UL/IEC 62368-1 is built on Hazard Based Safety Engineering (HBSE). Rather than prescribing exact construction rules, it requires manufacturers to identify energy sources, evaluate potential harm, and apply appropriate safeguards. This approach gives designers more freedom, but it also demands deeper analysis and clearer justification, which is where many teams run into trouble.
Does My IT Product Actually Need Safety Certification?
If you’re selling IT equipment in North America or Europe, the short answer is yes.
This applies to computers, servers, networking gear, displays, power supplies, data center equipment, and most electronics with processors or connectivity. Products sold directly to consumers through online marketplaces are not exempt. Retailers, commercial customers, and authorities having jurisdiction expect recognized certification marks, and non-compliant equipment can be red-tagged in buildings or data centers.
There are few guarantees when navigating this standard but needing to secure certification is one of them.
How Is Safety Testing Handled for Wearable Technology?
Wearables sit at the groundbreaking nexus of IT, consumer electronics, and sometimes medical-adjacent functionality. That combination introduces unique challenges when ensuring user safety.
In addition to UL/IEC 62368-1, wearables must be evaluated for skin contact, battery integration, wireless emissions, and how the device is used on the body. Whether it’s ensuring a watch is shockproof, or your AR glasses are as retina safe as they are immersive, getting safety right in this category is tricky, though critical. In some cases, product claims can even trigger medical device requirements.
The key is determining which standards apply—and just as importantly, which don’t—so products meet safety expectations without unnecessary over-testing.
Why Is Battery Testing So Critical for IT Products?
Batteries are one of the highest-risk components in modern IT products. No matter how small, these power sources can pack a punch. Underestimate them at your peril.
Lithium batteries store significant energy in compact spaces, and failures can escalate quickly into fires or explosions. Certification requires evaluating how batteries behave under mechanical stress, thermal abuse, overcharge and over-discharge conditions, short circuits, and internal failures.
Many IT products fail certification due to inadequate battery protection or battery management systems that don’t properly handle fault scenarios. Even at low voltages, risk remains. Fires can originate in circuits as low as 15 watts, for instance.
How Expensive Is WiFi and Bluetooth Testing & Why?
Wireless testing often comes as a surprise on both cost and complexity. Knowing what you’re up against early can save you serious coin.
WiFi, Bluetooth, cellular, NFC, and proprietary radios must be evaluated for emissions, power output, frequency accuracy, and electromagnetic compatibility in specialized facilities such as anechoic chambers. Costs scale based on the number of technologies, frequency bands, channels, and transmission modes involved.
Products that enter formal testing unprepared are far more likely to require costly retests. Careful pre-compliance evaluation and test planning can significantly reduce both expense and schedule impact.
What’s the Biggest Mistake Companies Make With IT Product Certification?
Never underestimate the intricacies of certifying IT products.
Modern IT devices combine multiple subsystems—power supplies, batteries, wireless radios, displays, and dense circuitry—each with its own safety requirements. In other words, oftentimes manufacturers cut the head off one snake, and several more appear. Certification must also assess how those subsystems interact, not just whether they pass individually.
Companies frequently skip thorough construction evaluation during design, only to discover problems during lab testing that could have been resolved early. This happens even on low-voltage products, where shock risk may be reduced but fire risk remains very real.
Can Data Servers and Data Center Equipment Be Certified Under IEC 62368-1?
Yes and they present their own catalog of challenges.
Servers and data center equipment fall squarely under IEC 62368-1, with additional requirements for rack mounting, power distribution, airflow management, and high-power operation. Certification may involve testing multiple configurations, as well as field evaluations for equipment already installed.
When servers are red-tagged by inspectors, on-site evaluations can be performed to bring systems into compliance and restore operation quickly.
How Are Products That Combine IT With Other Functions Evaluated?
Many modern products don’t fit neatly into a single category. Typically, the more cutting edge, the more complicated it is to prove it’s safe.
A smart appliance blends IT and appliance standards. A connected medical device must meet both IT and medical requirements. Certification depends on the product’s primary function, intended use, and claims, not just its hardware.
Understanding how different standards interact is critical to developing a compliant testing strategy that covers all applicable requirements without duplication or gaps.
What’s Involved in a Design Review for IT Products?
A design review evaluates safety before formal testing begins. This is your crucial prep work before the real deal.
This typically includes reviewing schematics, construction details, component ratings, spacing and clearances, power supply design, thermal management, and the identification of energy sources and safeguards under HBSE principles. For products with batteries or wireless features, those requirements are addressed as part of the review.
The goal is straightforward: identify issues early, when they’re still easy and inexpensive to fix.
Why Work With a Safety Consultant Instead of Going Straight to an NRTL?
Because NRTLs test products and appraise their safety. That’s it. They aren’t there to offer guidance and they certainly don’t tell you how to make necessary adjustments so your products can pass.
When a product fails, manufacturers receive a list of non-compliances but no technical roadmap for resolving them. This often leads to repeated test cycles, schedule delays, and escalating costs.
This is precisely where Product Safety Consulting Inc adds measurable value. With decades of experience helping manufacturers navigate complex safety standards like UL/IEC 62368-1, our team offers expert guidance, design reviews, testing strategies, and regulatory navigation that can significantly reduce both time to market and certification cost.
Disclaimer: This content reflects general industry knowledge about IT safety certification and is provided for educational purposes only. Specific requirements vary by product, application, and jurisdiction. Always consult qualified certification professionals and testing laboratories for guidance on your particular situation.