IEC 61230:2008 is applicable to portable equipment, with or without matching connection points, for temporary earthing or earthing and short-circuiting of electrically isolated or de-energized a.c. and d.c. installations, distribution and transmission networks, whether they are overhead or underground or of low or high voltage. This standard covers equipment comprising an earthing or a short-circuiting or an earthing and short-circuiting device and insulating component. The performance of equipment, devices and components covered by this standard is based on electro-dynamic and electro-thermal effects acting during short-circuit. The withstand capability of the devices and equipment is expressed by their rated values of current, time and peak factor. No rated voltage is given, but the geometrical dimensions of the equipment are also linked to the voltage of the installation. This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition published in 1993. It constitutes a technical revision. The major changes are: - extension of the scope to cover the use of equipment on d.c. installations; - extension of the use of aluminium to all conductive parts of the device; - possibility of using this standard for separate components of the equipment; - general revision of requirements and tests; - revision of existing annexes; - introduction of a new informative Annex D giving guidelines for determination of the equivalent r.m.s. value of a short-circuit current and of a new normative Annex F on classification of defects