Laidler issues warning on machinery standards04 June 2010

Machine manufacturers may inadvertently be relying on out-of-date standards for their compliance with the Machinery Directive, according to safety and compliance consultancy Laidler.

Paul Laidler, managing director of Laidler Associates, stresses that only standards harmonised with the new Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, which came into force at the end of December 2009, can now be used.

"In some cases, the changes ... are minor," concedes Laidler, "but in others, much more extensive changes have been made. This applies, for example, to EN ISO 12100-1 and EN ISO 12001-2, two very important Type A standards governing the design of all machines."

Laidler insists that no Declaration of Conformity can be issued and no CE marking can be applied to a machine – and such a machine cannot legally be sold or traded in the EU – if the current standards are not used.

He agrees that life is not that straightforward, given a situation where some standards have not yet been harmonised with the current Machinery Directive. However, he points to the 85% of standards relevant to the Machinery Directive that have been published in their harmonised form – and the further 10% due to be published soon.

"The situation relating to standards and the Machinery Directive is far from ideal," comments Laidler. "It's complicated, it's confusing and it's changing all the time. Machine suppliers that want to be sure of their ground and confident in applying the CE marking will, therefore, benefit greatly by seeking expert advice."

Brian Tinham

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Laidler Associates Consulting

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