IEC 60335-2-69:2012(E) deals with the safety of electrical motor-operated vacuum cleaners, including back-pack vacuum cleaners, and dust extractors, for wet suction, dry suction, or wet and dry suction, intended for commercial indoor or outdoor use with or without attachments. It also deals with the safety of centrally-sited vacuum cleaners, excluding the installation of the system. They are not equipped with a traction drive. The following power systems are covered: mains powered motors up to a rated voltage of 250 V for single-phase appliances and 480 V for other appliances, battery powered motors. This standard also applies to machines handling hazardous dust, such as asbestos. This fourth edition cancels and replaces the third edition published in 2002 and its Amendments 1 (2004) and 2 (2007). It constitutes a technical revision. The principal changes in this edition as compared with the third edition of IEC 60335-2-69 are as follows (minor changes are not listed):
- the scope has been revised editorially to avoid misunderstandings;
- terms and definitions has been revised with regard to the requirements revised;
- the standard has been revised in general and updated regarding state-of-the-art, as far as necessary, in particular some changes have been made to Clauses 15, 22 and 25;
- Annex AA was revised and restructured;
- Annex CC was made informative;
- a new Annex EE 'Emission of acoustical noise' was added and;
- a new Annex FF 'Emission of vibration' was added.

This publication is to be read in conjunction with IEC 60335-1:2010.