Derek Coulson of Safe Machine Ltd has prepared a detailed guide to CE marking machinery, titled Supplying Machinery to Europe and Compliance with European Requirements, which is intended primarily for use as a training manual for foreign enterprises exporting machinery into Europe, though it will also be very useful for European machine builders who are not familiar with CE marking requirements under the European Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC.
The new guide, which is available free of charge from the Safe Machine website, is a PDF file and therefore contains numerous direct links to sources of further information. As well as providing information about CE marking to the Machinery Directive, the guide also introduces other European Directives that readers may need to be aware of - including the EMC Directive, Pressure Equipment Directive, ATEX Directive and Low Voltage Directive - and indicates those which are due to be superseded in the near future.
After outlining the Directives, the guide addresses the question of Harmonised European standards for machinery safety. As well as providing a list of the key machinery safety standards, the guide provides a link to the relevant page on the European Commission where the latest complete list of Harmonised standards can be viewed.
In the next section, the guide explains the different routes by which machine builders can comply with the Essential Health and Safety Requirements (EHSRs) of the Machinery Directive and, ultimately, CE mark their machines. In addition, there are practical tips for complying with the Machinery Directive, and an explanation of when the services of a Notified Body may be required.
Documentation is an important aspect of CE marking, so this is also covered in some detail within the guide, including a list of what should be included on the EC Declaration of Conformity (DoC) or Declaration of Incorporation (DoI).
At the end of the guide there is a useful annex listing ten other Directives that are broadly related to machinery, including:
The 11-page guide Supplying Machinery to Europe and Compliance with European Requirements provides a good level of information but without repeating detail that can be found elsewhere. Whether the reader is a machine builder outside Europe intending to export to Europe, or simply a European machine builder seeking guidance on CE marking machinery, the guide will prove very useful. Follow the links to download the Guide to CE Marking Machinery and for more information about Safe Machine Ltd.
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