IEC 60984:2014 is applicable to electrical insulating sleeves for the protection of workers from accidental contact with live electrical conductors, apparatus or circuits. The products designed and manufactured according to this standard contribute to the safety of the users provided they are used by skilled persons, in accordance with safe methods of work and the instructions for use. Unless otherwise stated, in this standard the term "sleeve" is used for "electrical insulating sleeve". This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition, published in 1990 and its Amendment 1 published in 2002. It constitutes a technical revision which includes the following major changes:
- removal of the requirement for an area to mark the date of inspection;
- only the straight mounting method with water electrodes is specified for the dielectric type test;
- the d.c. electric tests are no longer included in the normative part of the document, but a new informative Annex E is added;
- preparation of the elements of evaluation of defects, and general application of IEC 61318:2007;
- in the new normative Annex F, updating of the characteristics of the liquid specified for tests on sleeves of category H, according to the latest edition of ISO 1817;
- introduction of a new normative Annex G on classification of defects;
- introduction of a new informative Annex H on the rationale for the classification of defects;
- and for periodic electrical retesting, recommended voltage limit of the dielectric test methods to 10 kV except in case of the test method with water electrodes and straight mounting.