It had been replaced by IEC 61439-1 (and -2, -3, etc.). The older 60439-1 was now historical—useful for legacy equipment, but not for new designs.
Still, since Building 4’s switchgear was installed in 2005, she genuinely needed the old standard.
The PDF contains specific tables (deep features) regarding creepage distances and clearances. In the older 60439-1, these values were prescriptive. iec 60439-1 standard pdf
Informative Appendices:
As of 2014, IEC officially withdrew 60439-1 and replaced it with IEC 61439-1. It had been replaced by IEC 61439-1 (and -2, -3, etc
Why? The old standard allowed "PTTA" (design verification by calculation/rule of thumb), which led to safety risks. The new 61439 series requires actual verification (testing or calculation) for every assembly.
If you are searching for the “IEC 60439-1 standard PDF,” you are likely working with low-voltage switchgear and controlgear assemblies (LV switchboards) manufactured before 2014. Informative Appendices :
You have probably hit a wall: the standard is withdrawn, and finding a clean, legal copy is difficult. Here is everything you need to know about this historic standard and where to find it.
When an old switchboard fails (e.g., arc flash or overheating), investigators must refer to the standard that was valid at the time of manufacture. Using a modern standard for a legacy product is legally incorrect.