Applicability of UL 62368-1

Scope overview

This page clarifies the scope boundaries of UL 62368-1. It describes the categories of equipment the standard is intended to address and the situations that fall outside its intended coverage. It does not redefine the standard itself and assumes familiarity with the core UL 62368-1 framework.

Equipment within scope

UL 62368-1 applies to equipment associated with audio, video, information, and communication technologies. The scope is defined by the presence of energy sources that can present safety-related hazards during normal use or foreseeable abnormal conditions.

The standard is structured to cover equipment that may combine multiple functions, such as processing, communication, and media handling, without separating them into technology-specific product classes. This allows the scope to remain applicable even as traditional category boundaries blur.

Functional boundaries

The applicability of UL 62368-1 is tied to the nature of the equipment rather than to individual components used in isolation. It is concerned with complete equipment and assemblies rather than discrete materials or standalone parts.

Equipment whose primary function falls clearly outside audio, video, information, or communication technologies is not the focus of the standard, even if similar components or energy sources are present.

Exclusions and outside scope

UL 62368-1 is not intended to address equipment already covered by standards dedicated to fundamentally different hazard models or use contexts. This includes equipment categories governed by standards developed specifically for medical, industrial process control, or other specialized domains with distinct safety frameworks.

The standard also does not extend to system-level installations or external infrastructure beyond the equipment itself.

Boundary cases

Some equipment types may sit near the edges of the defined scope due to hybrid functionality or atypical use contexts. In such cases, applicability depends on whether the equipment aligns with the audio, video, information, or communication technology context assumed by the standard, rather than on a single feature or component.

These boundary situations reflect the flexible, technology-neutral structure of UL 62368-1, but they do not expand its scope beyond the domains it was designed to address.