On November 23, MIIT (Ministry of Industry and Information Technology) commenced the solicitation of opinions on the mandatory national standard " Household and similar electrical appliances –Safety specification (draft for approval)," with a deadline set for December 23, 2023. This indicates that the standard has reached its final stage and is poised for imminent completion and release.

This standard delineates requirements for the safety, installation, maintenance, and repair of household and similar electrical appliances, including specifications for labeling and instructions. It describes corresponding compliance verification methods, establishes relevant terms and definitions, and is applicable to a range of 98 products, encompassing household (and similar use) appliances, the electrical components of sporting goods, and the design, production, testing, use, installation, maintenance, and repair of electric toys.

This standard serves as a consolidation and refinement of technical requirements within the current 102 mandatory standards in the field of household appliance safety. These 102 mandatory standards will be transformed into voluntary standards to support the implementation of this standard. Specifically:

l  In terms of product safety requirements (electrical, temperature, mechanical, durability, structure, components), this standard integrates requirements from the original GB 4706 series, GB 19865, and GB 31187, and proposes requirements that consider the impact of the usage environment on product safety in accordance with the current international standardization efforts of IEC 60335.

l  The section on safety requirements throughout the product lifecycle is enhanced based on the requirements in GB 8877, primarily addressing requirements for installation, maintenance, and repair.

l  The section on safety labeling and instructions integrates labeling from the original GB 4706 series, GB 19865, and GB 31187, and introduces labeling and instructional requirements for installation, maintenance, and repair activities.

It is noteworthy that this standard introduces safety requirements for "Appendix B: Household Appliances Intending to Communicate Remotely via Public Networks," and companies producing networked appliances must adhere to additional requirements outlined in this section.