The Machinery Directive, for machines and safety compo-nentsFrom 2006/42/EC1 § This Directive applies to the following products:a) machinery;b) interchangeable equipment;c) safety components;d) lifting accessories;e) chains, ropes and webbing;f) removable mechanical transmission devices;g) partly completed machinery.The Machinery Directive gives a detailed definition of a machine, which can be simplified as something that has linked parts that are moving, where the energy source is not human effort. Two or more machines that are put together into a production line is also regarded as one machine. CE-marking and Declaration of conformityMachines manufactured or placed on the market from december 29, 2009, shall be CE-marked and fulfil the requirements according to the European Machinery Direc-tive 2006/42/EC. This is also valid for old machines (manu-factured before 1 January 1995) if they are manufactured in a country outside the EEA and imported to be used in a country in the EEA (European Economic Area).For machines manufactured and/or released to the market between january 1, 1995, and december 28, 2009, the old Machinery Directive (98/37/EC) is valid.NOTE! Machines have to be accompanied by a Declaration of Con-formity (according to 2006/42/EC, Annex II 1.A) that states which directive and standards the machine fulfills. It also shows if the product has gone through EC Type Examina-tion. Safety components have to be accompanied with a Declara-tion of Conformity.Requirements for the use of machineryFor a machine to be safe it is not enough that the manufac-turer has been fulfilling all valid/necessary requirements. The user of the machine also has requirements to fulfill. For the use of machinery there is a Directive 2009/104/EC.It requires that the work equipment that is provided to workers must comply with relevant Community directives.This means that when repair/changes are made on the machine it shall still fulfill the requirements of the Machinery Directive. This doesn’t have to mean that a new CE-marking is required (unless the changes are extensive).NOTE! This means that the buyer of a machine also has to make sure that a new machine fulfills the requirements in the di-rectives. If the machine does not fulfill the requirements the buyer is not allowed to use it.“Old” machinesFor machines delivered or manufactured in the EEA before 1 January 1995 the following is valid.From 2009/104/EC(b) work equipment which, if already provided to workers in the undertaking or establishment by 31 December 1992, complies with the minimum requirements laid down in Annex I no later than 4 years after that date; (c) without prejudice to point (a)(i), and by way of derogation from point (a)(ii) and point (b), spe-cific work equipment subject to the requirements of point 3 of Annex I, which, if already provided to workers in the undertaking or establishment by 5 December 1998, complies with the minimum requirements laid down in Annex I, no later than 4 years after that date. Annex l contains minimum requirements for health and safety. There can also be additional national specific require-ments for certain machines. NOTE! The point in time when the Machinery Directive was imple-mented in each Member Country varies. Therefore it is necessary to check with the national authorities in ones own country, to find out what is considered as “old” and respec-tively “new” machines.—Machinery DirectiveFrom 2006/42/EC1 § This Directive applies to the following products:a) machinery;b) interchangeable equipment;c) safety components;d) lifting accessories;e) chains, ropes and webbing;f) removable mechanical transmission devices;g) partly completed machinery.From 2009/104/ECb) work equipment which, if already provided to workers in the undertaking or establishment by 31 December 1992, complies with the minimum requirements laid down in Annex I no later than 4 years after that date;c) without prejudice to point (a)(i), and by way of derogation from point (a)(ii) and point (b), spe- cific work equipment subject to the requirements of point 3 of Annex I, which, if already provided to workers in the undertaking or establishment by 5 December 1998, complies with the minimum requirements laid down in Annex I, no later than 4 years after that date.1INTRODUCTION1– 7
