By following the guidelines and requirements outlined in the IEC 61010-1 standard, manufacturers can ensure that their electrical equipment is safe for use in various environments and complies with international safety regulations.
The standard applies to equipment used for professional, industrial, and educational purposes: iec 61010-1 standard pdf
If a designer reads the PDF and assumes their device will be in a clean lab (Degree 1), they can place circuit traces closer together. But if that device is later used in a sawmill (Degree 3), the conductive dust could bridge those traces, causing a short circuit. The standard forces engineers to predict the future environment of their device—or play it safe and design for the worst-case scenario. By following the guidelines and requirements outlined in