IP CODES

Degrees of Protection Provided by Enclosures (IP Codes)

Munawar Abbas (I.Dip NEBOSH – UK)

• The IP Code (or International Protection Rating, sometimes also
interpreted as Ingress Protection Rating*) consists of the letters IP
followed by two digits and an optional letter. As defined in
international standard IEC 60529, it 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 more detailed
information than vague marketing terms such as waterproof.
• The digits (characteristic numerals) indicate conformity with the
conditions summarized in the tables below. For example, an electrical
socket rated IP22 is protected against insertion of fingers and will not
be damaged or become unsafe during a specified test in which it is
exposed to vertically or nearly vertically dripping water. IP22 or 2X are
typical minimum requirements for the design of electrical accessories
for indoor use.
 Object size protected
Level Effective against
against

IP CODES 0 Not protected

No protection against
contact and ingress of
objects
Any large surface of the
body, such as the back of
First Digit: Solids 1 >50mm the hand, but no protection
against deliberate contact
• The first digit indicates the with a body part.
level of protection that the 2 >12.5mm Fingers or similar objects.
enclosure provides against 3 >2.5mm Tools, thick wires, etc.
access to hazardous parts (e.g., 4 >1mm Most wires, screws, etc.
electrical conductors, moving
parts) and the ingress of solid Ingress of dust is not
entirely prevented, but it
foreign objects. must not enter in sufficient
• 5 Dust Protected quantity to interfere with
the satisfactory operation
of the equipment; complete
protection against contact.

No ingress of dust;
6 Dust Tight complete protection
against contact.
IP CODES
Object size protected
Level Effective against
against
0 Not protected -

1 Dripping water Dripping water (vertically falling drops) shall have no harmful effect.

Dripping water when tilted Vertically dripping water shall have no harmful effect when the
Second Digit: Liquids 2
up to 15° enclosure is tilted at an angle up to 15° from its normal position.

Protection of the Water falling as a spray at any angle up to 60° from the vertical shall
equipment inside the
3 Spraying water
have no harmful effect.

enclosure against harmful 4 Splashing water

Water splashing against the enclosure from any direction shall have no
harmful effect.
ingress of water. Water projected by a nozzle (6.3 mm) against enclosure from any
5 Water jets
direction shall have no harmful effects.
Water projected in powerful jets (12.5 mm nozzle) against the
6 Powerful water jets
enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects.
Ingress of water in harmful quantity shall not be possible when the
7 Immersion up to 1m enclosure is immersed in water under defined conditions of pressure
and time (up to 1 m of submersion).

The equipment is suitable for continuous immersion in water under

conditions which shall be specified by the manufacturer. Normally, this
8 Immersion beyond 1m will mean that the equipment is hermetically sealed. However, with
certain types of equipment, it can mean that water can enter but only
in such a manner that it produces no harmful effects.
IP Rating Reference Chart
IP Number First Digit - SOLIDS Second Digit - LIQUIDS
IP00 Not protected from solids. Not protected from liquids.

IP01 Not protected from solids. Protected from condensation.

IP02 Not protected from solids. Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from
vertical.
IP03 Not protected from solids. Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from
vertical.
IP04 Not protected from solids. Protected from water spray from any direction.

IP05 Not protected from solids. Protected from low pressure water jets from any
direction.
IP06 Not protected from solids. Protected from high pressure water jets from any
direction.
IP07 Not protected from solids. Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and
1 meter in depth.
IP08 Not protected from solids. Protected from long term immersion up to a specified
pressure.
IP10 Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimeters. Not protected from liquids.

IP11 Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimeters. Protected from condensation.

IP12 Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimeters. Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from
vertical.
IP13 Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimeters. Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from
vertical.
IP Rating Reference Chart
IP Number First Digit - SOLIDS Second Digit - LIQUIDS
IP14 Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimeters. Protected from water spray from any direction.

IP15 Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimeters. Protected from low pressure water jets from any
direction.
IP16 Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimeters. Protected from high pressure water jets from any
direction.
IP17 Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimeters. Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and
1 meter in depth.
IP18 Protected from touch by hands greater than 50 millimeters. Protected from long term immersion up to a specified
pressure.
IP20 Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters. Not protected from liquids.

IP21 Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters. Protected from condensation.

IP22 Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters. Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from
vertical.
IP23 Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters. Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from
vertical.
IP24 Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters. Protected from water spray from any direction.

IP25 Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters. Protected from low pressure water jets from any
direction.
IP26 Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters. Protected from high pressure water jets from any
direction.
IP27 Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters. Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and
1 meter in depth.
IP Rating Reference Chart
IP Number First Digit - SOLIDS Second Digit - LIQUIDS
IP28 Protected from touch by fingers and objects greater than 12 millimeters. Protected from long term immersion up to a specified
pressure.
IP30 Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. Not protected from liquids.

IP31 Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. Protected from condensation.

IP32 Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from
vertical.
IP33 Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from
vertical.
IP34 Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. Protected from water spray from any direction.

IP35 Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. Protected from low pressure water jets from any
direction.
IP36 Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. Protected from high pressure water jets from any
direction.
IP37 Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and
1 meter in depth.
IP38 Protected from tools and wires greater than 2.5 millimeters. Protected from long term immersion up to a specified
pressure.
IP40 Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. Not protected from liquids.

IP41 Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. Protected from condensation.

IP42 Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from
vertical.
IP Rating Reference Chart
IP Number First Digit - SOLIDS Second Digit - LIQUIDS
IP43 Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from
vertical.
IP44 Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. Protected from water spray from any direction.

IP45 Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. Protected from low pressure water jets from any
direction.
IP46 Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. Protected from high pressure water jets from any
direction.
IP47 Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and
1 meter in depth.
IP48 Protected from tools and small wires greater than 1 millimeter. Protected from long term immersion up to a specified
pressure.
IP50 Protected from limited dust ingress. Not protected from liquids.

IP51 Protected from limited dust ingress. Protected from condensation.

IP52 Protected from limited dust ingress. Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from
vertical.
IP53 Protected from limited dust ingress. Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from
vertical.
IP54 Protected from limited dust ingress. Protected from water spray from any direction.

IP55 Protected from limited dust ingress. Protected from low pressure water jets from any
direction.
IP56 Protected from limited dust ingress. Protected from high pressure water jets from any
direction.
IP Rating Reference Chart
IP Number First Digit - SOLIDS Second Digit - LIQUIDS
IP57 Protected from limited dust ingress. Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and
1 meter in depth.
IP58 Protected from limited dust ingress. Protected from long term immersion up to a specified
pressure.
IP60 Protected from total dust ingress. Not protected from liquids.

IP61 Protected from total dust ingress. Protected from condensation.

IP62 Protected from total dust ingress. Protected from water spray less than 15 degrees from
vertical.
IP63 Protected from total dust ingress. Protected from water spray less than 60 degrees from
vertical.
IP64 Protected from total dust ingress. Protected from water spray from any direction.

IP65 Protected from total dust ingress. Protected from low pressure water jets from any
direction.
IP66 Protected from total dust ingress. Protected from high pressure water jets from any
direction.
IP67 Protected from total dust ingress. Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and
1 meter in depth.
IP68 Protected from total dust ingress. Protected from long term immersion up to a specified
pressure.
IP69K Protected from total dust ingress. Protected from steam-jet cleaning.

IP57 Protected from limited dust ingress. Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and
1 meter in depth.