The IP Code
The IP Code (or International Protection Rating, also referred to as Ingress Protection Rating) consists of the letters IP followed by two digits and an optional letter.
EN 60529 classifies the degrees of protection provided against the intrusion of solid objects (including body parts like hands and fingers), dust, accidental contact, and water in electrical enclosures. The standard aims to provide users with more detailed information than vague marketing terms such as "waterproof".
The digits indicate conformity with the conditions in the tables below. Where there is no protection rating with regard to one of the criteria, the digit is replaced with the letter X.
First digit
The first digit indicates the level of protection that an enclosure provides against accidental contact with electrically ‘live’ or hazardous mechanical parts inside and the ingress of solid foreign objects.
Level |
Object size protected against |
Effective against |
0 |
— |
No protection against contact and ingress of objects |
1 |
>50 mm |
Any large surface of the body, such as the back of a hand, but no protection against deliberate contact with a body part |
2 |
>12.5 mm |
Fingers or similar objects |
3 |
>2.5 mm |
Tools, larger diameter strands of wires, etc. |
4 |
>1 mm |
Most strands of wires, screws, etc. |
5 |
Dust protected |
Limited ingress of dust permitted but it must not enter in sufficient volume to interfere with the satisfactory operation of the equipment; complete protection against contact |
6 |
Dust tight |
No ingress of dust; complete protection against contact |
Second digit
Protection of the equipment inside the enclosure against harmful ingress of water.
Level |
Protected against |
Explanation |
0 |
Not protected |
No protection |
1 |
Vertical falling drops |
Dripping water (vertically falling drops) shall have no harmful effect |
2 |
Dripping water when tilted up to 15° |
Vertically dripping water shall have no harmful effect when the enclosure is tilted at an angle up to 15° from its normal position |
3 |
Spraying water |
Water falling as a spray at any angle up to 60° from the vertical shall have no harmful effect |
4 |
Splashing water |
Splashing water from any direction shall have no harmful effect |
5 |
Low pressure jets |
Water projected by a nozzle from any direction shall have no harmful effect |
6 |
Heavy seas |
Water projected in powerful jets from any direction shall have no harmful effect |
7 |
The effects of immersion between 15.cm & 1.0m |
Ingress of water in harmful volume shall not be possible when the enclosure is temporarily immersed in water under defined conditions of pressure and time |
8 |
Submersion |
The enclosure is suitable for continuous immersion in water under conditions as specified by the manufacturer |