There are various guides to machinery safety legislation which tend to present a distorted view of the requirements of that legislation. This handbook is an attempt to provide a balanced guide to the subject. The handbook uses examples, graphics and photographs, and also provides a useful commentary to explain less obvious points.

The information provided is up-to-date and unbiased in order to help machine builders and users to provide workers with machines that are safe, legal, and efficient. It is not intended as an exhaustive guide to compliance with safety legislation, nor as a replacement for referring to the relevant standards themselves; it is to guide you through the logical steps and to point you to the relevant sources of information.

The guide addresses area such as

– Why safety

– Legal framework

– Risk assessment

– Safe design and safeguarding

– Functional Safety

– Control system standards including worked examples

As well as the moral obligation to avoid harming anyone, there are laws that require machines to be safe, and sound economic reasons for avoiding accidents.

Safety must be taken into account right from the design stage and must be kept in mind at all stages in the life of a machine: design, manufacture, installation, adjustment, operation, maintenance and eventual scrapping.

New machines – the Machinery Directive

In the UK, at present the Machinery Directive 98/37/EC is implemented as the Supply of Machinery (safety) regulations 1992 as amended. From 29 December 2009 the relevant UK regulations will be the Supply of Machinery (safety) regulations 2008, which implement the European Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC.

Machines have to comply with the Essential Health and Safety Requirements (EHSRs) listed in Annex I of the Directive, thus setting a common minimum level of protection across the EEA (European Economic Area).

Machine manufacturers, or their authorised representatives within the EU, must ensure that the machine is compliant, the Technical File can be made available to the enforcing authorities on request, the CE marking is affixed, and a Declaration of Conformity has been signed, before the machine may be placed on the market within the EU.

Existing machines – the Work Equipment Directive

This is implemented in UK law as the Provision and use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER 1998). It applies to the provision of all work equipment, including mobile and lifting equipment, in all workplaces and work situations where the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSW Act) applies, and extends outside Great Britain to some offshore activities.

They require that all equipment is suitable for use, and is inspected and maintained as necessary to ensure that it remains so.

The guide is produced by Schneider Electric and is available as a sixty page download from their website and available here

For more Schneider safety products go to 999 Schneider