Ingress Protection (IP) is an internationally standardized system for classifying the degree of protection provided by electrical equipment against the ingress of foreign objects, dust, and water. For the U.S. market, the classification is based on ANSI/IEC 60529, the U.S. adoption of the international IEC 60529 standard. EN 60529 and DIN 40050 are also commonly referenced in European and industrial contexts. These standards allow for a consistent assessment of the degree of protection under different environmental conditions.

The degree of protection is indicated by the abbreviation IP followed by two characteristic numerals, for example IP68. The first numeral describes protection against the ingress of solid foreign objects and protection against access to hazardous parts. The second numeral indicates protection against the ingress of water.

The higher the respective degree of protection, the more resistant the product is to dust, moisture, and other environmental influences. Selecting the correct IP rating makes a significant contribution to the operational safety and service life of electrical components in industrial applications.

The first numeral indicates Protection against access to hazardous parts and ingress of solid foreign objects.

First characteristic numeralDesignationExplanation
0Not protectedNo protection against access to hazardous parts or ingress of solid foreign objects.
1Protected against solid foreign objects 50 mm in diameter and largerProtection against access with the back of the hand; protection against solid foreign objects 50 mm in diameter and larger.
2Protected against solid foreign objects 12.5 mm in diameter and largerProtection against access with a finger; protection against solid foreign objects 12.5 mm in diameter and larger.
3Protected against solid foreign objects 2.5 mm in diameter and largerProtection against access with a tool; protection against solid foreign objects 2.5 mm in diameter and larger.
4Protected against solid foreign objects 1.0 mm in diameter and largerProtection against access with a wire; protection against solid foreign objects 1.0 mm in diameter and larger.
5Dust-protectedDust-protected; protection against access with a wire.
6Dust-tightDust-tight; protection against access with a wire.


The second numeral indicates Protection against ingress of water.

Second characteristic numeralDesignationExplanation
0No protectionNot protected.
1Protection against dripping waterProtected against vertically falling water drops.
2Protection against dripping water when tiltedProtected against vertically falling water drops when the enclosure is tilted up to 15°.
3Protection against spraying waterProtected against spraying water.
4Protection against splashing waterProtected against splashing water.
5Protection against water jetsProtected against water jets.
6Protection against powerful water jetsProtected against powerful water jets.
7Protection against temporary immersionProtected against the effects of temporary immersion in water.
8Protection against continuous immersionProtected against the effects of continuous immersion in water under conditions specified by the manufacturer.
9KProtection against high-pressure, high-temperature water jets / steam-jet cleaningANSI/IEC: protected against high-pressure and high-temperature water jets. DIN 40050-9: protected against high-pressure / steam-jet cleaning.