The Commission of the European Union (EU) has issued an updated list of standards that can be used to demonstrate compliance with the essential requirements of its Directive 2006/42/EC, also known as the Machinery Directive.
The EU’s Machinery Directive defines the essential health and safety requirements for a wide range of products, including: machinery and partly completed machinery; lifting accessories; chains, ropes and webbing; interchangeable equipment; removable mechanical transmission devices; and safety components.
The Directive’s scope specifically excludes electrical and electronic products covered under Directive 2006/95/EC (the EU’s so-called Electrical Safety Directive), including household appliances, audio and video equipment, informational technology equipment and ordinary office machinery.
The extensive list of CEN and Cenelec standards for the Machinery Directive was published in early March in the Official Journal of the European Union, and replaces all previously published standards lists for the Directive.