IEC 62619

Safety Requirements for Secondary Lithium Cells and Batteries for Industrial Applications

IEC 62619 is an international standard published by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) that specifies requirements and tests for the safe operation of secondary lithium cells and batteries used in industrial applications. Industrial applications include stationary deployments such as uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), grid-connected energy storage, telecoms, and emergency power systems, as well as motive applications such as forklifts, automated guided vehicles (AGVs), and marine vessels. The 2022 second edition introduced significant enhancements to BMS functional safety requirements, thermal runaway propagation testing, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), and overcurrent protection.

Published by: International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)

Current edition: IEC 62619:2022 (2nd edition, May 2022)

Replaces: IEC 62619:2017 (1st edition)

European adoption: EN IEC 62619:2022 / BS EN IEC 62619:2022

Scope

IEC 62619:2022 applies to secondary lithium cells and batteries for industrial applications, covering:

  • Stationary applications: UPS, telecom backup, grid energy storage systems (ESS), emergency and alarm systems, photovoltaic storage
  • Motive applications: electric forklifts, AGVs, golf carts, railway traction vehicles, marine vessels
  • Voltage range: all voltage classes applicable to industrial deployments

Exclusions: The standard does not apply to road vehicles for which IEC 62660 series or equivalent automotive standards take precedence. Consumer portable applications are covered by IEC 62133-2. Home energy storage may additionally reference IEC 63056.

Key Requirements and Test Methods

Electrical Safety Tests

  • Overcharge: charge to 1.5× rated voltage for 7 hours — no fire or explosion permitted; verifies protection circuit or BMS cut-off
  • External short circuit: terminals shorted through low resistance; surface temperature must not exceed 150 °C
  • Forced discharge (over-discharge): battery discharged below minimum voltage; capacity recovery after recharge must be ≥90% of rated
  • Overcurrent protection (new in 2022): confirms circuit protection triggers under abnormal charge or discharge current conditions

Mechanical and Environmental Tests

  • Crush: 13 kN applied perpendicular to battery face — no fire or explosion
  • Free fall: 1.2 m drop in six orientations onto hard surface — no electrolyte leakage, fire, or explosion
  • Vibration: random vibration per defined spectrum — no mechanical failure or loss of function
  • Temperature cycling: −20 °C to +60 °C over 200 cycles — capacity retention ≥90% of rated
  • Thermal abuse: external heating to evaluate response above maximum operating temperature

Thermal Runaway Propagation Test (2022 Edition)

A mandatory test in the 2022 edition. A single cell is triggered into thermal runaway (using laser ignition at 100–150 W in the updated method) and the test verifies that the failure does not propagate uncontrolled to adjacent cells or cause fire or explosion at the system boundary. This test is critical for multi-cell packs and large-format BESS.

BMS Functional Safety

IEC 62619:2022 requires that the Battery Management System (BMS) be subject to a formal functional safety analysis, with IEC 61508 (SIL-2) or ISO 13849 as the applicable frameworks. Specific BMS requirements include:

  • Triple monitoring of voltage, current, and temperature per cell or module
  • Automatic circuit disconnection within 200 ms of detecting an abnormal condition
  • System-level locks and fail-safe states to prevent unsafe restart after a fault
  • Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) testing — new in 2022 — to confirm BMS function is not disrupted by external electromagnetic interference

Certification and Regional Recognition

  • International: certified via the IECEE CB Scheme — test reports accepted by certification bodies in 50+ member countries
  • Europe: adopted as EN IEC 62619:2022 / BS EN IEC 62619:2022; referenced by CE marking under Low Voltage Directive (LVD) and Machinery Directive for industrial battery systems
  • USA: UL 1973 is the principal US standard for stationary storage batteries; IEC 62619 is accepted as a basis for international recognition via CB scheme
  • China: GB/T 36276 is the primary domestic BESS safety standard; IEC 62619 is referenced as an international equivalent
  • Transition timeline: the 2022 edition supersedes the 2017 edition; new certifications should reference the 2022 edition for all new product submissions

Related Standards

  • IEC 62133-2 — Safety requirements for portable sealed secondary lithium cells and batteries (consumer/portable applications; IEC 62619 covers industrial)
  • IEC 62619 — This page covers the 2022 edition; see also existing batterydesign.net IEC 62619 reference page
  • UL 9540A — Thermal runaway fire propagation test method for BESS (US equivalent approach)
  • NFPA 855 — Installation standard for stationary energy storage systems (US installation requirements for systems certified to IEC 62619)
  • IEC 62660-1 — Performance testing of Li-ion cells for EV propulsion (where IEC 62619 does not apply, i.e. road vehicles)
  • IEC 61508 — Functional safety of electrical/electronic/programmable electronic safety-related systems (BMS safety analysis framework referenced by IEC 62619:2022)

Disclaimer: This is not a definitive guide, just an indication and it is important that you always go back to the source for legislation.

References

  1. What Are the Latest Updates in IEC 62619 for Lithium Batteries?, Heated Battery
  2. IEC 62619:2022 — Safety requirements for secondary lithium cells and batteries for use in industrial applications, IEC Webstore
  3. IEC 62619:2022 via ANSI Webstore, ANSI
  4. IEC 62619 Safety Certification for Energy Storage Batteries, GDEST Testing Laboratory

See also: Thermal Runaway – the failure mode this standard’s abuse tests (short circuit, overcharge, crush, thermal exposure) are designed to provoke and evaluate, EN 62619 (European harmonised adoption of this standard), and IEC 62620 (the companion performance standard for the same industrial lithium cell category), Cross-Industry Functional Safety Comparison