Hello Everyone,

Im wondering if anyone out there has experience with European AF LAbels.

I have come to know European Facilities tend to abide by their countries' adoption of the EN 50110-1 standard.

This standard provides its own approach boundaries that differ from NFPA 70E.

Im wondering if anyone out there knows if European labels print the approach boundaries from EN 50110-1 instead of those from NFPA 70E.

Just curious about the practices in Europe when compared to the states.

Sample of the standard adopted by the British:
BS EN 50110-1 : 2013 OPERATION OF ELECTRICAL INSTALLATIONS - PART 1: GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

In my experience most electricians in Europe are not that familiar with approach boundaries. My estimation is that printing them on a label will have zero impact on risk reduction, so I don't recommend it to my customers. Printing NFPA 70E limited and restricted boundaries are sometimes required by corporate policies so that's what I do.

Note that EN 50110 lists the maximum distance for approach boundaries, national (derived) standards may have lower distances so verify before printing them. Neither EN 50110 nor any of the national standards I'm familiar with require posting them on electrical equipment.

Please note that the limits mentioned in EN50110-1 annex A is for the electrical hazards.
Arc flash hazards are mentioned in annex B6 which requires a risk assessment but there is no guide to AF boundaries.
IEEE1584 is normally also used in Europe

European requirements for safety signs is less prescriptive and is based upon risk assessment. The European Council Directive 92/58/EEC is the relevant legislation and as you mentioned the British Standard, this Directive was transposed into the UK Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996. (The UK has left the EEC but the same regulations exist at present) The regulations require employers to ensure that safety signs are provided (or are in place) and maintained in circumstances where there is a significant risk to health and safety that has not been removed or controlled by other methods. Signs are only appropriate where use of a sign can further reduce the risk. The legislation also deals with harmonisation of colours and symbology to ensure that they have meaning in all member states where a plethora of different languages are spoken. Then there are many facilities that are owned by US (or Canadian) companies where there is a corporate requirement to operate under consensus standards such as NFPA 70E and there is nothing stopping the use of those documents providing that they are kept secondary to the primary legislation and norms. So for signage, it would be necessary to ensure that it is a result of a risk assessment that puts the removal of the risk first in the hierarchy before labels. That said, as I understand it, there is no mandatory requirement for labelling of shock approach distances in NFPA 70E.
Mike