Switching on a light, using a smartphone, plugging in a hairdryer, taking the bus, car or electric scooter to work, heating food in a microwave, using a computer or electric drill, the list of our daily interactions with...
Nuclear energy might be the source of all evils for environmental activists, but for many countries around the world it is a key option to meet the targets set by the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
Household appliances have developed into an immense industry. According to Statista, global sales of domestic appliances amounted to more than €200 billion in 2019. This is unsurprising given the many household...
Products come in many shapes and sizes. They could be systems, services, goods, software or any combination of these, and range from a child’s toy, to complex safety-critical systems in an industrial plant.
While cyber security is primordial nowadays in all types of industries, it is even more so in in the oil and gas sector. Cyber attacks can have critical consequences to human lives and the environment: fires, explosions...
In recent times, there has not been a more critical need to have access to and use technology, for work, education and in healthcare, to help patients and protect healthcare workers, as the world adjusts to living during...
IEC and ISO develop international standards for AI. SC 42, the joint committee of IEC and ISO tasked with this work, recently approved new standards projects in the areas of trustworthiness and computational methods.
In the case of healthcare, medical devices and systems can help save lives and improve quality of life for people living with different conditions and diseases. Machine learning, natural language processing and image...
Over the last century, automation has advanced in many industries. More recently people must work with non-human entities, which increasingly use artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.
IEC Technical Committee 18: Electrical Installations for ships and of mobile and fixed offshore units, has published a major revision of the IEC 61892 series of standards, key documents for the safety of offshore...
Laser technology is so widely used today that we forget that it can be dangerous for our health if it does not meet the strictest safety standards. IEC expertise in producing safety specifications for lasers is...
Walking down a city street, pedestrians have recently been confronted by a new phenomenon. Sailing by on sidewalks or bike lanes, commuters have adopted electric scooters as a popular mode of transportation. Offering a...
Every year, the IEC pays tribute to people from its organization, for their distinguished work and commitment to improving the safety, compatibility and energy efficiency of electrical products and systems, with its...
In 2018, IECQ, the IEC Quality Assessment System for Electronic Components, held its annual meetings in October, in conjunction with the 82nd IEC General Meeting in Busan, Republic of Korea. One of the highlights of the...
The Internet of Things (IoT) is fast becoming the Internet of everything: the technology is impacting a huge number of sectors, from the transmission and distribution of electricity to the devices we use in our cities...
I recently attended an international conference in Barcelona. The event was about safety solutions and, among other topics, it also dealt with hazardous areas. For me, as the IECEx Chair, there were many interesting...
Every year IEC honours the commitment and work of a number of individuals in its community who, through their leadership and technical expertise, have contributed to making products and electrical systems safer, more...
Explosive (Ex) atmospheres – also termed hazardous areas/locations – which can be caused by flammable gases, mists or vapours or by combustible dusts, are by no means restricted to the oil, gas and petrochemical industry...
