Arc fault detection (AFDD) — recommended, not mandatory in the Netherlands

An Arc Fault Detection Device (AFDD), also known as an arc fault breaker, detects dangerous serial and parallel arc faults in a final circuit — for example caused by a damaged cable connection, an aged socket outlet, or a worn-through cord — which are often a cause of electrical fire but which a regular overcurrent protective device or residual current device (RCD, see the RCD guide) does not always detect.

Why an RCD does not always catch this

A residual current device responds to a leakage current to earth. A serial arc fault (for example in a loose terminal connection, in series with the normal load) does not cause an earth leakage current and no overcurrent that would trip a circuit breaker — the current through the circuit stays within the normal range, while a dangerous, high-temperature arc fault occurs locally. An AFDD analyses the characteristic high-frequency current/voltage pattern of an arc fault and disconnects, even when no earth leakage current or overcurrent is present.

Status in the Netherlands: recommended, not mandatory

IEC 60364-4-42 (and therefore NEN 1010) lists the use of AFDDs as a recommended additional protective measure for specific high-risk situations — not as a general requirement. In the Netherlands this is, to date (2026), not legally mandatory, unlike some other European countries (for example Germany and France, which have made AFDD use mandatory for certain circuits in their national implementation).

The recommendation applies in particular to:

• Dwellings and buildings with sleeping facilities (homes, day-care centres, care institutions, hospitals) — where residents/patients cannot respond directly to an incipient fire while asleep.
• Spaces with elevated fire risk due to storage and/or processing of readily flammable material.
• Spaces with irreplaceable goods (for example museums, archives).

Note: this article describes the status in the Netherlands based on the current NEN 1010 recommendation; national legislation and standards can change — if in doubt, check the current situation via NEN or a recognised training provider, particularly for projects with an international (for example German) scope where a requirement may actually apply.

Practical relevance

Even without a legal requirement, using an AFDD can be a sensible choice — for example in an industrial hall with a lot of older wiring, a growing operation with business-critical climate control equipment running continuously (where an unnoticed incipient fire can cause major consequential damage), or a building with insurance requirements that go beyond the legal minimum. Some insurers now explicitly ask about AFDD application when assessing fire risk in commercial premises.

Common mistakes

1. Assuming an AFDD is mandatory in the Netherlands because it is in another EU country (Germany, France) — the national implementation of IEC 60364-4-42 differs per member state.
2. Confusing an AFDD with a residual current device (RCD) — both protect against a different fault mechanism (arc fault without earth leakage current versus leakage current to earth); one does not replace the other.
3. Only considering arc fault detection for new-build — it is precisely in older installations with aged wiring/connection points that the risk of serial arc faults due to deteriorated contact points is greatest.

Related

• Residual current devices (RCD)
• Fire classification of cables — CPR