Machinery Safety Standards
Standards play an important role in the design and construction of safe machinery. In European machinery legislation, the legal requirements are set forth in the Machinery Directive and, soon, the Machinery Regulation. This legislation describes what must be achieved, but not always how. Standards provide practical technical solutions for this. By applying standards, manufacturers can demonstrate that they comply with the essential health and safety requirements set forth in the legislation.
In the field of machine safety, a distinction is made between Type A, B, and C standards.
Type A Standards: General Safety Principles
Type A standards contain the fundamental principles of machine safety. They describe methods for risk assessment and risk reduction that are applicable to virtually all machines.
The most important Type A standard is:
- NEN-EN-ISO 12100 – Safety of machinery – General principles for design – Risk assessment and risk reduction.
This standard often serves as the starting point for the CE certification process and helps manufacturers systematically identify hazards and manage risks.
Relevant resources
Type B Standards: Safety Aspects and Safety Devices
Type B standards address specific safety aspects or safety features that can be applied to many different types of machinery.
Type B1 Standards
These standards cover general safety aspects, such as:
- safety distances;
- ergonomics;
- noise reduction;
- Fields of view.
Examples:
- EN ISO 13857 – Safety Distances
- EN ISO 14122 – Safe access to machinery
Type B2 standards
These standards pertain to specific safety features, such as:
- protective barriers;
- locking systems;
- emergency stop devices;
- safety control systems.
Key examples:
- NEN EN ISO 13849-1 – Safety-related control systems
- NEN EN IEC 62061 – Functional Safety
- NEN EN ISO 14119 – Interlocking Devices
- NEN and ISO 14120 – Guards
- NEN EN ISO 14118 – Prevention of Unexpected Start-up
- NEN EN 60204-1 – Electrical equipment of machines
These standards are widely used in practice when designing safety functions and determining Performance Levels (PL) or Safety Integrity Levels (SIL).
More information
Type C standards: machine-specific standards
Type C standards have been developed for specific categories of machinery. They describe the risks and safety measures associated with a particular type of machine.
Examples include standards for:
- agricultural machinery;
- harvesting machines;
- earth-moving machinery;
- woodworking machines;
- packaging machines;
- lifting equipment.
When a Type C standard exists for a machine, it takes precedence over the more general requirements in Type A and B standards for the topics specifically covered therein.
For Fedecom members, the Type C standards for agricultural, landscaping, and internal transport equipment are of particular importance.
Harmonized standards
Not every standard is automatically a harmonized standard. A standard is only considered harmonized once the European Commission has officially published it in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU).
The major advantage of a harmonized standard is that it provides a “presumption of conformity” with the relevant essential health and safety requirements of the Machinery Directive or Machinery Regulation. When a manufacturer designs a machine in accordance with the applicable harmonized standards, it is assumed that the relevant legal requirements have been met.
That does not mean, however, that applying these standards is mandatory. A manufacturer may also choose a different technical solution, provided it can be demonstrated that the same level of safety is achieved. The use of harmonized standards, however, makes this process considerably simpler.
Harmonized standards and the Machinery Regulation
With the implementation of the Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230, existing harmonized standards are being gradually adapted to the new legal requirements. This includes addressing new topics such as cybersecurity, software, and artificial intelligence. It is expected that a large portion of the current harmonized standards will be revised and republished under the Machinery Regulation.
It is therefore important for machinery manufacturers to regularly check whether the standards they apply are still current and continue to provide a presumption of conformity.
Where can you find harmonized standards?
The official lists of harmonized standards are published by the European Commission.