---
title: "LVD voltage scope triage workflow"
canonical_url: "https://www.sorena.io/artifacts/eu/low-voltage-directive/voltage-scope-triage-workflow"
source_url: "https://www.sorena.io/artifacts/eu/low-voltage-directive/voltage-scope-triage-workflow"
author: "Sorena AI"
description: "A concrete Low Voltage Directive scope workflow for AC/DC thresholds, intended-use claims, Annex II exclusions, components, chargers, adapters, and RED, EMC, or Machinery routing."
published_at: "2026-05-09"
updated_at: "2026-05-09"
keywords:
  - "EU Low Voltage Directive"
  - "LVD"
  - "Directive 2014/35/EU"
  - "voltage scope"
  - "Annex II exclusions"
  - "chargers"
  - "adapters"
  - "chargers and adapters"
---
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---

# LVD voltage scope triage workflow

A concrete Low Voltage Directive scope workflow for AC/DC thresholds, intended-use claims, Annex II exclusions, components, chargers, adapters, and RED, EMC, or Machinery routing.

*Workflow* *EU*

## EU Low Voltage Directive voltage scope triage workflow

Use rated AC and DC limits, intended use, Annex II exclusions, and product type to decide whether a product belongs in the LVD evidence pack.

This workflow separates finished equipment, components, chargers, travel adapters, radio equipment, EMC-only interference issues, and machinery-borderline products before release.

LVD scope triage starts with the equipment's rated supply and intended use, not with the product category name alone. Record the voltage rating, whether the equipment is intended to be used inside 50-1000 V AC or 75-1500 V DC, whether an Annex II exclusion applies, and whether another EU product act controls the same product or risk.

## Capture the voltage facts before assigning LVD scope

Start the record with the equipment as sold in the EU: model identifier, supply interface, rated input, rated output if it supplies another product, accessories included in the box, and the manufacturer's stated intended use. The LVD scope test applies to electrical equipment designed for use within the Directive's voltage limits, so the evidence should show the intended voltage range, not only a test-lab operating point.

Separate input and output. A mains-powered charger or adapter can be in LVD scope because its supply side is within the AC limits even if the user-facing output is extra-low-voltage DC. A battery accessory, USB peripheral, or downstream module should not be pulled into LVD scope only because it connects to an LVD-covered supply; check the rating and the role of that item as placed on the market.

- Treat equipment designed for 50-1000 V AC or 75-1500 V DC as voltage-in-range unless an exclusion or more specific act changes the route.
- Keep separate rows for supply input, converted output, external power supply, detachable cord set, and bundled adapter because each item may have a different scope answer.
- Use the manufacturer's instructions, declaration, advertising, and product information to support intended use; the LVD Guide treats stated intended use as the key criterion at the Machinery boundary.
- Do not use the LVD scope memo to resolve electromagnetic disturbance alone; radio-electrical interference is routed to EMC, while safety aspects of in-range electrical equipment remain an LVD issue.

Sources for this answer:

- [Directive 2014/35/EU on electrical equipment within certain voltage limits](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2014/35/oj?ref=sorena.io) - Supports the AC and DC voltage limits and the requirement to assess equipment as designed for use within those limits.
- [European Commission - Low Voltage Directive policy page](https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/sectors/electrical-and-electronic-engineering-industries-eei/low-voltage-directive-lvd_en?ref=sorena.io) - Commission LVD page used for implementation context and links to official LVD guidance.

*Recommended next step*

*Placement: after implementation section*

## Review an LVD scope table before release

Check the voltage ratings, intended-use evidence, Annex II screen, accessory treatment, and RED, EMC, or Machinery routing before committing to a declaration or launch gate.

- [Open Research Copilot](/solutions/research-copilot.md): Answer LVD scope and routing questions with cited outputs.
- [Talk through implementation](/contact.md): Review your voltage scope table, accessory treatment, and evidence model.

## Screen Annex II exclusions before building the technical file

After the voltage check, screen the product against Annex II. The useful output is a short exclusion table: category checked, product facts, result, and where the item is routed instead. This prevents a team from creating an LVD declaration for products the Directive expressly excludes.

The common traps are domestic plug and socket products, simple travel adapters, lift parts, electricity meters, electric fence controllers, radiology or medical electrical equipment, explosive-atmosphere equipment, and custom-built professional R&D evaluation kits. For plug-and-socket products, distinguish domestic plugs and socket outlets from industrial appliance couplers, cord sets, switched products, and adapters with electronics.

- Mark domestic plugs and socket outlets as excluded from LVD, then handle safety through the relevant non-LVD route.
- Keep appliance couplers, cord extension sets, cord sets, switches, voltage detectors, and products with integrated plugs in the LVD triage when the grounding facts match the Commission guide examples.
- Classify a simple travel adapter with only a plug-system conversion outside LVD; classify multiple travel adapters with switches, sliding contacts, USB chargers, overvoltage protection, LEDs, or similar electronics as LVD-relevant.
- Treat custom-built evaluation kits as excluded only when they are destined for professionals and used solely at research and development facilities; routine lab equipment or repeat-sold evaluation equipment does not fit that exclusion.

Sources for this answer:

- [Directive 2014/35/EU on electrical equipment within certain voltage limits](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2014/35/oj?ref=sorena.io) - Supports the Annex II exclusion screen that must be applied after the voltage-range check.
- [European Commission - Low Voltage Directive policy page](https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/sectors/electrical-and-electronic-engineering-industries-eei/low-voltage-directive-lvd_en?ref=sorena.io) - Commission LVD guidance grounds the treatment of plugs, socket outlets, travel adapters, components, and example product classifications.

## Handle components, chargers, adapters, and finished equipment separately

For each item in the bill of materials or sales bundle, decide whether it is a finished product made available on the EU market, a component sold as a separate electrical equipment item, or a component assessed as part of a finished product. The LVD Guide flags components as a distinct scope question and the finished-equipment assessment still needs to cover how incorporated electrical parts affect safety.

For chargers and adapters, write the scope result against the item actually sold. A mobile-phone charger, plug-in night light, power adapter, or multiple travel adapter with a supply is not the same as a passive plug converter. A bundled external power supply may need its own LVD evidence even when the powered device itself is outside the voltage range.

- For finished equipment, keep LVD technical documentation, standards mapping, instructions and safety information, EU declaration, CE marking evidence, and production-control records together.
- For separately supplied power supplies, chargers, cord sets, appliance couplers, and adapter products, record a separate scope result and evidence owner instead of burying them in the host product file.
- For components incorporated into another finished product, record the component rating, supplier evidence, integration hazards, insulation/overload assumptions, and the finished-equipment safety assessment that relies on them.
- For products with both electrical and non-electrical hazards, document which hazards are covered by LVD safety objectives and which are routed to another product regime.

Sources for this answer:

- [Directive 2014/35/EU on electrical equipment within certain voltage limits](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2014/35/oj?ref=sorena.io) - Supports the core LVD conformity file outputs: technical documentation, EU declaration, CE marking, instructions, and retention duties.
- [European Commission - harmonised standards for Low Voltage Directive](https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/single-market/goods/european-standards/harmonised-standards/low-voltage-lvd_en?ref=sorena.io) - Commission LVD harmonised-standards page used for standards-list and presumption-of-conformity evidence checks.

## Route borderline products to RED, EMC, or Machinery where the source says so

Close the triage with a routing line for each non-LVD or mixed-regime result. This is not a generic escalation note; it should name the product fact that moved the item: radio function, electromagnetic interference issue, machinery function, domestic-plug exclusion, or another Annex II category.

Radio equipment is not subject to the LVD as such when it falls within the Radio Equipment Directive, although RED references health and safety requirements corresponding to LVD objectives. EMC handles electromagnetic compatibility and radio-electrical interference; it does not supersede the LVD safety assessment for in-range electrical equipment. Machinery routing depends on whether the product is a machine and whether it falls into a category that remains under LVD, such as household appliances intended for domestic use, audio/video equipment, IT equipment, ordinary office machinery, low-voltage switchgear and control gear, or electric motors.

- Route radio equipment to RED and record that LVD is not cited as a separate applicable directive for that radio equipment.
- Route radio-electrical interference and EMC performance issues to Directive 2014/30/EU, while keeping electrical safety hazards in the LVD file when the equipment is voltage-in-range.
- Route machinery that is outside the Machinery Directive Article 1(2)(k) LVD carve-outs to the Machinery regime; document that electrical hazards still have to meet LVD safety objectives through Machinery rules.
- Use stated intended use from the declaration, instructions, advertising, and product information when deciding domestic household appliance versus commercial or industrial machinery use.

Sources for this answer:

- [Directive 2014/53/EU on radio equipment](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX%3A32014L0053&ref=sorena.io) - Supports routing radio equipment to RED and explains that LVD safety objectives are referenced through RED rather than applying LVD separately.
- [Directive 2014/30/EU on electromagnetic compatibility](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX%3A32014L0030&ref=sorena.io) - Supports routing electromagnetic disturbance and EMC performance issues to the EMC Directive.
- [European Commission - Low Voltage Directive policy page](https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/sectors/electrical-and-electronic-engineering-industries-eei/low-voltage-directive-lvd_en?ref=sorena.io) - Commission LVD guidance grounds the Machinery-borderline treatment and intended-use evidence described in this workflow.

## Evidence record to keep from the triage

The final artifact should be a scope table that product, compliance, quality, and release teams can inspect without re-running the analysis. Keep one row per item sold or supplied with the product, not one row per project.

A complete row contains: item name and model, input rating, output rating where relevant, intended-use evidence, Annex II screen result, component or finished-equipment status, applicable route, standards evidence owner, declaration or supplier-document owner, unresolved assumptions, and release action.

- Use `LVD in scope` only when voltage range, product status, and exclusions have all been checked.
- Use `LVD safety objectives via another regime` for RED or Machinery cases where the source routes conformity through that regime.
- Use `EMC route only for interference` when the product fact is radio-electrical interference or electromagnetic compatibility rather than electrical safety.
- Use `blocked` when the voltage rating, intended use, bundled accessory status, or Annex II category cannot be proven from product evidence.

Sources for this answer:

- [Directive 2014/35/EU on electrical equipment within certain voltage limits](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2014/35/oj?ref=sorena.io) - Supports retaining technical documentation, EU declaration evidence, instructions, safety information, and operator traceability for in-scope equipment.
- [European Commission - harmonised standards overview](https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/single-market/goods/european-standards/harmonised-standards_en?ref=sorena.io) - Supports checking whether harmonised standard references have been published for presumption-of-conformity evidence.

## Primary sources

- [Directive 2014/35/EU on electrical equipment within certain voltage limits](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2014/35/oj?ref=sorena.io) - Binding LVD source for voltage thresholds, Annex II exclusions, safety objectives, technical documentation, EU declaration, CE marking, and evidence retention.
  - Quote: "between 75 and 1 500 V"
- [European Commission - Low Voltage Directive policy page](https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/sectors/electrical-and-electronic-engineering-industries-eei/low-voltage-directive-lvd_en?ref=sorena.io) - Commission LVD page and guidance context used for scope examples, components, adapters, intended use, and overlap with other EU product acts.
  - Quote: "Low Voltage Directive"
- [European Commission - harmonised standards for Low Voltage Directive](https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/single-market/goods/european-standards/harmonised-standards/low-voltage-lvd_en?ref=sorena.io) - Commission page for LVD harmonised-standard references used when the triage result requires standards evidence.
  - Quote: "Low voltage (LVD)"
- [European Commission - harmonised standards overview](https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/single-market/goods/european-standards/harmonised-standards_en?ref=sorena.io) - Explains the role of harmonised standards and OJEU references for presumption of conformity.
  - Quote: "Harmonised standards"
- [Directive 2014/53/EU on radio equipment](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX%3A32014L0053&ref=sorena.io) - Supports routing radio equipment to RED rather than citing LVD separately for radio equipment.
  - Quote: "radio equipment"
- [Directive 2014/30/EU on electromagnetic compatibility](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX%3A32014L0030&ref=sorena.io) - Supports routing electromagnetic disturbance and EMC performance issues to the EMC Directive.
  - Quote: "electromagnetic compatibility"

## Related Topic Guides

- [Are chargers and power adapters covered by the EU Low Voltage Directive? | LVD FAQ](/artifacts/eu/low-voltage-directive/faq/chargers-and-adapters.md): LVD FAQ for chargers, external power supplies, travel adapters, CE marking, technical documentation, instructions, harmonised standards, and EMC, RED, and RoHS overlap.
- [Are components covered by the Low Voltage Directive? | LVD FAQ](/artifacts/eu/low-voltage-directive/faq/components.md): How the LVD treats basic components, electrical components intended for incorporation, CE marking, and evidence for finished electrical equipment.
- [EU Low Voltage Directive applicability test](/artifacts/eu/low-voltage-directive/applicability-test.md): Check whether electrical equipment falls under the EU Low Voltage Directive by voltage rating, Annex II exclusions, components, evaluation kits, batteries, CE marking, and adjacent EU product rules.
- [EU Low Voltage Directive compliance guide](/artifacts/eu/low-voltage-directive/compliance.md): Concrete LVD compliance guide covering scope, safety objectives, manufacturer duties, internal production control, EU declaration, CE marking, technical documentation, labels, importer and distributor checks, and post-market action.
- [EU Low Voltage Directive deadlines and compliance calendar](/artifacts/eu/low-voltage-directive/deadlines-and-compliance-calendar.md): Calendar checkpoints for LVD 2014/35/EU: current-law status, release evidence gates, OJEU standard withdrawals, 10-year records, and post-market triggers.
- [EU Low Voltage Directive exclusion triage workflow](/artifacts/eu/low-voltage-directive/exclusion-triage-workflow.md): A concrete LVD exclusion triage workflow for voltage scope, Annex II exclusions, components, evaluation kits, radio equipment, EMC, Machinery, and evidence records.
- [EU Low Voltage Directive FAQ: scope, duties, CE marking](/artifacts/eu/low-voltage-directive/faq.md): Answers to practical LVD questions on voltage limits, Annex II exclusions, batteries, chargers, components, economic operators, instructions, standards, CE marking, and post-market controls.
- [EU Low Voltage Directive post-market controls](/artifacts/eu/low-voltage-directive/post-market-controls.md): LVD post-market controls for corrective action, recalls, complaints, technical documentation, EU declarations, authority cooperation, and 2019/1020 market surveillance.
- [EU Low Voltage Directive requirements](/artifacts/eu/low-voltage-directive/requirements.md): LVD requirements for voltage scope, Annex I safety objectives, economic operator duties, internal production control, technical files, EU declarations, CE marking, standards, and market surveillance.
- [EU Low Voltage Directive scope and covered products](/artifacts/eu/low-voltage-directive/scope-and-products.md): Scope notes for the EU Low Voltage Directive: voltage limits, Annex II exclusions, components, chargers, adapters, and boundaries with RED, Machinery, and EMC rules.
- [EU LVD standard selection and OJEU checks](/artifacts/eu/low-voltage-directive/standard-selection.md): How to select Low Voltage Directive harmonised standards, check OJEU status, map Annex I safety objectives, and document alternatives in the technical file.
- [Household Appliances under the Low Voltage Directive | LVD FAQ](/artifacts/eu/low-voltage-directive/faq/household-appliances.md): FAQ on how household and similar electrical appliances are treated under the EU Low Voltage Directive, including scope, safety objectives, CE marking, documentation, standards, and operator roles.
- [Low Voltage Directive vs EMC Directive: safety and EMC comparison](/artifacts/eu/low-voltage-directive/low-voltage-directive-vs-emc-directive.md): Compare the EU Low Voltage Directive and EMC Directive by scope, safety objectives, electromagnetic disturbance, immunity, CE marking, declarations, documentation, and standards.
- [Low Voltage Directive vs Machinery Regulation boundary](/artifacts/eu/low-voltage-directive/low-voltage-directive-vs-machinery-regulation.md): Grounded comparison of the LVD and EU machinery law boundary for electrical equipment, machine electrical hazards, control gear, documentation, and CE marking.
- [LVD Annex II exclusions under Directive 2014/35/EU](/artifacts/eu/low-voltage-directive/annex-ii-exclusions.md): Practical EU Low Voltage Directive guide to Annex II excluded equipment, boundary cases, and records to keep when a product is outside LVD scope.
- [LVD combined CE files for multi-regime products](/artifacts/eu/low-voltage-directive/combined-ce-files.md): How to keep EU declarations, standards, risk assessments, instructions, labels, and technical documentation aligned when LVD products also trigger EMC, RED, RoHS, machinery, or market-surveillance checks.
- [LVD Compliance Checklist](/artifacts/eu/low-voltage-directive/checklist.md): EU Low Voltage Directive checklist covering scope, safety objectives, standards, technical documentation, EU declaration, CE marking, labelling, traceability, and post-market duties.
- [LVD conformity assessment and CE marking](/artifacts/eu/low-voltage-directive/conformity-assessment-and-ce.md): EU Low Voltage Directive guide to internal production control, technical documentation, harmonised standards, EU declarations of conformity, and CE placement.
- [LVD Conformity Assessment Template](/artifacts/eu/low-voltage-directive/lvd-conformity-assessment-template.md): Template fields for documenting Low Voltage Directive scope, Annex I safety objectives, standards, technical documentation, EU declaration, CE marking, and production control evidence.
- [LVD Essential Safety Hazards and Objectives](/artifacts/eu/low-voltage-directive/essential-safety-hazards.md): EU Low Voltage Directive hazard map for Annex I safety objectives: electrical contact, heat, arcs, radiation, insulation, assembly, overload, mechanical, environmental, and foreseeable-use risks.
- [LVD Essential Safety Requirements](/artifacts/eu/low-voltage-directive/essential-safety-requirements.md): Annex I safety objectives under the EU Low Voltage Directive: safe construction, markings, instructions, electrical hazards, external influences, insulation, temperature, and technical-file evidence.
- [LVD harmonised standard update workflow](/artifacts/eu/low-voltage-directive/harmonized-standard-update-impact-workflow.md): Workflow for checking Low Voltage Directive harmonised standard updates, affected products, withdrawal dates, presumption of conformity, retesting, technical files, and declarations.
- [LVD Harmonised Standards and OJEU Citations](/artifacts/eu/low-voltage-directive/harmonized-standards.md): Track Low Voltage Directive harmonised standards by OJEU reference, presumption of conformity, restrictions, withdrawals, replacements, and technical-file evidence.
- [LVD importer obligations FAQ | Directive 2014/35/EU](/artifacts/eu/low-voltage-directive/faq/importers.md): What importers must check before placing LVD electrical equipment on the EU market: conformity assessment, CE marking, EU declaration, traceability, storage, corrective action, and authority cooperation.
- [LVD instructions and labelling requirements | FAQ](/artifacts/eu/low-voltage-directive/faq/instructions-and-labelling.md): What the Low Voltage Directive requires for instructions, safety information, traceability, manufacturer/importer labels, CE marking, and retained evidence.
- [LVD Internal Production Control: Module A Evidence](/artifacts/eu/low-voltage-directive/internal-production-control.md): How manufacturers document Low Voltage Directive Module A: technical documentation, safety objectives, harmonised standards, EU declaration, CE marking, and production controls.
- [LVD penalties and enforcement](/artifacts/eu/low-voltage-directive/penalties-and-fines.md): How penalties and enforcement work under the EU Low Voltage Directive: Member State penalty rules, market surveillance action, recalls, restrictions, and cooperation.
- [LVD release evidence gates workflow](/artifacts/eu/low-voltage-directive/release-evidence-gates-workflow.md): Product-release gates for EU Low Voltage Directive evidence: voltage scope, safety objectives, standards, technical documentation, EU declaration, CE marking, labelling, production control, operator checks, and post-market triggers.
- [LVD spare parts FAQ | CE marking and evidence](/artifacts/eu/low-voltage-directive/faq/spare-parts.md): How to handle spare parts under the EU Low Voltage Directive when a part is electrical equipment, built into finished equipment, imported, modified, or documented for repair.
- [LVD Technical Documentation Checklist](/artifacts/eu/low-voltage-directive/technical-documentation.md): What to keep in EU Low Voltage Directive technical documentation: product identity, design and manufacturing records, risk assessment, standards, tests, declaration, CE marking, instructions, and authority access.
- [LVD voltage thresholds: 50-1000 V AC and 75-1500 V DC](/artifacts/eu/low-voltage-directive/voltage-thresholds.md): How the EU Low Voltage Directive voltage limits work for rated input and output voltage, battery-powered equipment, chargers, Annex II exclusions, and RED, EMC, or Machinery routing.
- [LVD vs MSR: Low Voltage Directive and Market Surveillance Regulation](/artifacts/eu/low-voltage-directive/lvd-vs-msr.md): Compare LVD electrical-equipment conformity duties with Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 market surveillance, economic-operator cooperation, corrective action, online sales, and border controls.
- [LVD vs RED: electrical safety and radio equipment scope](/artifacts/eu/low-voltage-directive/lvd-vs-red.md): Compare the Low Voltage Directive and Radio Equipment Directive for electrical safety, radio scope, CE files, chargers, adapters, and harmonised standards.
- [LVD vs RoHS: electrical safety vs substance restriction](/artifacts/eu/low-voltage-directive/lvd-vs-rohs.md): Compare LVD and RoHS at the CE file boundary: electrical safety evidence, hazardous-substance restriction, declarations, standards, and documentation overlap.
- [What happens when an LVD harmonised standard is withdrawn or replaced? | LVD FAQ](/artifacts/eu/low-voltage-directive/faq/standards-withdrawal.md): How LVD manufacturers should handle OJEU standard withdrawals, replacement references, presumption of conformity, technical documentation updates, and transition dates.
- [When are battery-powered products covered by the Low Voltage Directive? | LVD FAQ](/artifacts/eu/low-voltage-directive/faq/battery-powered-products.md): LVD FAQ explaining when battery-only products, bundled chargers, adapters, external power supplies, and integrated supplies fall inside or outside Directive 2014/35/EU.
- [Which AC and DC voltage thresholds bring equipment into the Low Voltage Directive? | LVD FAQ](/artifacts/eu/low-voltage-directive/faq/ac-and-dc-thresholds.md): LVD FAQ explaining the 50-1000 V AC and 75-1500 V DC scope thresholds, input and output ratings, exclusions, and common product edge cases.


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