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The New Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC -
Summary of changes The summary
below is intended to provide a flavour of the
effect of the new directive which came into force on 29th
December 2009. It is not intended to cover everything
and reference should be made to the full text of the
directive (see below).
Significant Changes:
The following changes are included which
may have a significant impact on the regulatory procedures
for certain products.
- Cartridge-operated fixing (nail guns)
and other impact machinery is now included within the
scope of the directive (there is a transition period for
these until 29th June 2011).
- The directive modifies the detail of
the scope of the "Lifts directive" which means that
construction site hoists and slow-travel lifts are now
within the scope of the Machinery directive.
- Partly completed machinery is now
explicitly included and this is likely to have a
significant effect on the level of technical
documentation that is expected to be produced and
retained.
- Machines powered by human effort are
now no longer specifically excluded.
- Medical devices are no longer
specifically excluded.
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Some
Detail changes:
The directive includes a
large number of detailed changes as compared with the
previous version. Most of these are within the "Essential
Health and Safety Requirements" and include the following,
-
the directive says that
measures must be taken to eliminate any risk throughout
the foreseeable lifetime of the machinery including the
phases of transport, assembly, dismantling, disabling and
scrapping.
-
specific mention is made to
the Ergonomics of the machinery.
-
details of Control systems
and devices have been significantly changed
-
fixed guards should have a
fixing system that remains attached to the guards (or the
machinery) when the guards are removed.
-
a new section on
"Interlocking movable guards" replaces the previous
"Movable guards" section, and includes the statement
"Where it is possible for an operator to reach the danger
zone before the risk due to the hazardous machinery
functions has ceased, movable guards must be associated
with a guard locking device in addition to an interlocking
device that: prevents the start of hazardous machinery
functions until the guard is closed and locked, and keeps
the guard closed and locked until the risk of injury from
the hazardous machinery functions has ceased".
-
With reference to the
Electricity Supply for machines it now states explicitly
that "The safety objectives set out in Directive 73/23/EEC
(now 2006/95/EC - the Low Voltage Directive) shall apply
to machinery. However, the obligations concerning
conformity assessment and the placing on the market and/or
putting into service of machinery with regard to
electrical hazards are governed solely by this
Directive.", i.e. the requirements of the LVD apply but no
explicitly declaration of conformity with respect to the
LVD should be made.
-
more detailed information
is given concerning the contents of the instructions for
use/installation/maintenance etc.
-
The supplementary EHSRs
given in Chapter 2 now apply to machinery for "Foodstuffs,
Cosmetics or Pharmaceutical Products", whereas previously
it was for "Agri-foodstuffs"
-
Annex IV has been modified,
this excludes some previously listed items and adds "Logic
units to ensure safety" and "Portable cartridge-operated
fixing and other impact machinery".
Partly
completed machinery:
The previous directive
effectively referred to machinery that cannot function
independently, such equipment would be delivered with a
"Declaration of Incorporation", but the detail of what was
required in terms of the conformity assessment process and
associated technical documentation was never particularly
clear and was often effectively ignored by some suppliers.
The new directive introduces the concept of "Partly
Completed Machinery" and provides details of the processes
and documentation requirements which effectively mirror
those required for complete machine, in the place of
user/installation instructions, assembly instructions are
required to enable the unit to be safely incorporated into
the completed machine.
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To find out what is
excluded from the scope of the directive
click on the image above |
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For a copy of the directive
click on the image above |
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To find out what is changed
in the directive click on the image above |
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