IEC/PAS 62596:2009(E) is a Publicly Available Specification which provides general sampling guidelines and strategies of sampling for electrotechnical products, electronic assemblies, electronic components. In order to obtain samples that can be used for analytical testing to determine the levels of restricted substances as described in the test methods of IEC 62321. Restrictions for substances will vary between geographic regions and from time to time. This document describes a generic process for the sampling of any substance which could be restricted.