Eu latest Machinery Directive in action - The European Union adopted the latest Machinery Directive (2006 42/EC) on May 17, 2006, compared with the current machinery Directive 98/37/EC, The new Directive introduces a number of new requirements and significant changes in terms of scope of application, boundaries with other directive directives, market surveillance, safety components, conformity assessment procedures and basic health and safety requirements. This paper analyzes the core content of the law and gives the main changes of the law, which will help relevant departments and enterprises to actively cope with the new technical barriers.
 

1   Foreword

 

    On 17 May 2006, the European Parliament and the European Council adopted the latest version of the Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC), which is one of the basic health and safety regulations of the European Union under the Newapproach. Compared with the current Machinery Directive 98/37/EC, the new Directive has some new requirements and significant changes in terms of scope of application, boundaries with other directive directives, market monitoring, safety components, conformity assessment procedures and basic health and safety requirements.

 

In the face of new technical barriers, relevant departments and enterprises should do a good job in advance, and actively respond to them from the perspective of practical application and technology as early as possible.

    The new decree consists of a text and 12 annexes, the text of which includes: Applicable scope of machinery, definition of terminology and concepts, market supervision, placing on the market and delivery, qualification and harmonization standards, specific measures for handling potentially dangerous machinery, procedures for handling disputes over harmonized standards, protection clauses, procedures for assessment of machinery compliance, procedures for the partial completion of machinery in semi-finished products, designated certification bodies, CE mark , amendments to Directive 95/16/EC, etc. 29 articles. The attachments mainly include: Basic health and safety requirements for the design and manufacture of machinery, requirements for the declaration of conformity of machinery, the CE mark, a journal of machinery categories for performing conformity assessment, a detailed list of safety components, requirements for assembly instructions for semi-finished mechanical devices, technical documentation requirements, conformity assessment for internal audits of machinery manufacturing processes, EC type tests, and sound quality assurance regulations Minimum standards to be considered by each member when designating a certification body.

 

The content of the entire law in all aspects to be more detailed, while the original 98/37/EC directive states the same content of the provisions of the summary classification to form an independent clause, the entire legal document framework is more clear, help manufacturers, certification bodies, member states and other relevant parties to the understanding and application of the content of the law.

 

2       The legislative basis of the new Mechanical Guidance Act

 

    The Machinery Directive Directive 2006/42/EC is in accordance with the new EU Treaty. One of a series of measures established by Article 95 (formerly Article 100 of the Treaty) of the European Union Treaty, the main purpose of Article 95 of the Treaty is the mechanical safety and health requirements for the realization of the single European market in goods and services. The development of the new Machinery Directive took into account both proposals from the European Commission and the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee. The purpose of this revision of the Machinery Directive is to provide a better definition of the various concepts in order to clarify the relevant issues and to better ensure the uniform application of the Directive, the free circulation of products within the European Union and the high level of health, safety and consumer protection.

 

The original Safety of Machinery Directive was 89/392/EEC, and 9l/368/EEC added mobile machinery and lifting equipment for loading cargo that were not previously covered. 93/44/EEC adds the requirements for passenger lifts not covered by the Lifts Directive. The recent 98/37/EC has added the provisions on CE marking, conformity declaration documents and information, and increased the mandatory requirements. The new Directive 2006/42/EC has entered into force and will be officially implemented on December 29, 2009, including the extension of the requirements for portable ammunition propelled fixed devices and other impact machinery to July 29, 2011.

 

3       Scope and definition of the Safety of Machinery Directive

 

    Unlike Directive 98/37/EC, the new directive not only excludes some mechanical equipment, but also. The applicable mechanical products are also given clear regulations. The scope of the new directive is expanded, and the use of winches, ammunition propelled fixtures and other impact machinery on construction sites will no longer be excluded. At the same time, the scope of the new directive explicitly excludes electric motors, reducing the uncertainty in the management of manufacturers.

 

The distinction between new instructions and LowVoltage instructions is no longer based on “ Key risks” (MainRisk), which lists six categories of electronic and electrical products covered by the low voltage Directive and other machinery covered by the low voltage Directive electrical risks, but conformity assessment procedures and placing requirements are governed by the Machinery Directive.