Machinery Directive 2006/42

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I’m declaring to 98/37/EC – what must I do?

You must adopt 2006/42/EC as soon as possible.98/37/EC expired on 29/12/09.

There are numerous minor changes, especially if you supply partly built machinery. Every supplier is affected by the new requirements for declarations, requiring the name of the person responsible for the technical file to be stated, and there are numerous other clarifications affecting most suppliers. You will only know by working through the new EHSRs and regulations with reference to your products. We can help with this and speed the process for you. Guidance on the how standards will be affected is also available from us.

The main changes are:

  • modified essential health and safety requirements

  • clearer distinction between Machinery Directive and Low Voltage Directive

  • clearer definition of safety components, and exemptions for spares

  • inclusion of lifts not covered by the Lifts Directive (e.g. construction site hoists)

  • inclusion of cartridge-operated fixing machinery and impact machinery

  • comprehensive new duties on suppliers of partly completed machinery, who must now compile technical files and assembly instructions, and issue a much more detailed Declaration of Incorporation

  • new requirements for the technical file

  • new wording in the EC Declaration of Conformity

  • additional content of instructions for use

Headlands Consulting is compiling a comprehensive guide to the new directive with details of all changes described and commented on. To obtain a copy, please contact us.

Using a product specific standard?

With the new directive, many existing standards have been superseded. Some can be identified by the suffix “+A1” to the standard number, others are replaced by new numbers. If you currently conform to a product specific standard make sure it has been updated before declaring conformity with 2006/42 (or use EHSRs instead).

One of the most important new standards is BS EN ISO 13849-1 on the safety-related parts of control systems, which replaces BS EN 954-1. This introduces a probabilistic analysis of the system components and should be more suitable for machinery than the SIL-based standards such as EN 61508.

For further information, contact Headlands Consulting.