Revised Machinery Legislation for 2009
Event: 5th January 2009 by Simon Emeny1 Comment
If your company manufactures products that fall within the scope of the Machinery Directive (MD) or you are an agent (The term Agent could mean an Authorised Representative, Importer or Distributor) for such products, there is a major change imminent. The consequences of which could seriously affect your ability to do business in the European Community.
On 29th December 2009, the newly revised MD 2006/42/EC replaces MD 98/37/EC which has been mandatory since January 1995. It sets out the essential health and safety requirements for machinery within the European Community. The term ‘machinery’ generally covers any equipment, whether for domestic, commercial or industrial use, that has parts actuated by a power source other than manual effort. Excluded from the MD are machines where the risks are wholly covered by other EC Directives.
The purpose of the Directive is to harmonise national laws of member states and this new version addresses many of the interpretational issues that have arisen from the process of consolidating previous versions of the MD. It also expands the list of hazardous machinery and equipment products falling within Annex IV applying to hazardous machinery and equipment.
The new Directive has a broadened scope which includes:
• Interchangeable equipment
• safety components
• lifting accessories
• chains, ropes and webbing
• removable mechanical transmission devices
• partly completed machinery
There will be no transition period between the old and the new Directive. As a result, a product which currently complies with MD 98/32/EC may overnight become non-compliant. Unless you are proactive in ensuring compliance, the new MD could have a significant impact upon your business.
Simon manages Product Conformity for both the
26th October 2010 at 9:43 pm
If you need guidance in ‘plain English’ as to what the new Machinery Directive means for you, MachineBuilding.net has published a Free Guide to the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC (now in its 5th edition).
Copies of the Free Guide to the New Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC can be requested from http://www.machinebuilding.net/service/mmdynpage.php?art=B0019