Any electronic equipment must be designed for safe operation. Most countries have some form of product liability legislation which puts the onus on the manufacturer to ensure that his product is safe. The responsibility devolves onto the product design engineer, to take reasonable care over the safety of the design. This includes ensuring that the equipment is safe when used properly, that adequate information is provided to enable its safe use, and that adequate research has been carried out to discover, eliminate or minimize risks due to the equipment.

There are various standards relating to safety requirements for different product sectors. In some cases, compliance with these standards is mandatory. In the European Community, the Low Voltage Directive (73/23/EEC) applies to all electrical equipment with a voltage rating between 50 and 1000VAC or 75 and 1500VDC, with a few exceptions, and requires member states to take all appropriate measures:

"To ensure that electrical equipment may be placed on the market only if, having been constructed in accordance with good engineering practice in safety matters in force in the Community, it does not endanger the safety of persons, domestic animals or property when properly installed and maintained and used in applications for which it was made."

If the equipment conforms to a harmonized CENELEC or internationally agreed standard, then it is deemed to comply with the Directive. Examples of harmonized standards are EN 60065:1994, "Safety requirements for mains-operated electronic and related apparatus for household and similar general use," which...