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Machinery Directive - changes

The Machinery Directive is one of the older “New Approach” directives designed to regulate machinery in the European Union by CE Marking.
First introduced in 1989, amended twice it was consolidated in 1998 to document 98/37/EC. The 'new' Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, is intended to improve & clarify and is described as a “recast”. While the “new” and “old” directives are broadly similar, there are significant differences that affect suppliers, importers and manufactures of machinery in the EU & EEA.

The ‘New’ Machinery Directive came into force on 29th December 2009.


Key Changes & Considerations

• The Directive amends the Lifts Directive 95/16/EC, and now regulates construction site hoists, and lifts with a travel speed no greater than 0.15m/s.

• Portable cartridge-operated fixing and other impact machinery are no longer excluded from the Machinery Directive.

• The “new” Machinery Directive now identifies electrical and electronic products types to which the LVD (2006/95/EC) only should be applied.

• The revised Essential Health & Safety Requirements (EHSR’s) now effectively includes the “essential requirements” of the LVD within the EHSR’s.

• The Directive introduces the term 'partly completed machinery' to better define and explain 'machinery... which cannot function independently ' as used in the “old” Directive where a Declaration of Incorporation is required.

• There are significant additions and changes to the EHSR’s that will affect machine design including requirements for guarding and control systems. The supplementary EHSR’s have also been subject to some changes.

• The content & detail of the EC Declaration of Conformity is changed.

• In general the requirement for the CE mark remains unchanged except that it must now be affixed 'in the immediate vicinity of the name of the manufacturer or his authorised representative.'

• The “new” directive still lists categories of machinery to which special procedures must be applied (Annex IV) but, significantly, the necessity to involve a Notified Body has been removed if the machinery is manufactured in accordance with harmonised standards.
Where a Notified Body has been involved there is a new requirement for a review of the EC type-examination certificate every five years.

A copy of the "New" Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC may be downloaded here.

A copy of the "New" Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 may be downloaded here.

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