Set Lighting Technician's Handbook, 4th Edition

APPENDIX

IP and NEMA equipment ratings

E

INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION RATINGS

Lights and equipment that may be exposed to the elements, such as dew, rain, splashing water, mist, and so on, require an enclosure that prevents water from getting inside. This is known as ingress protection. The Comission Electrotechnique International (IEC), the body responsible for international electrical standards, created an International Protection (IP) rating standard in 1989. The IP rating signifies the degree to which a light enclosure can protect against ingress of water and particulates. The IP rating can usually be found next to the UL listing stamp on the fixture. It begins with the letters “IP,” followed by two numbers. The first is a number from ...