June 2021

n SWITCHING INTO SAFETY ENGINEERING n Switching into safety engineering - Applicable Standards, Directives and Regulations S everal relevant regulations and standards apply to operators and manufacturers of plant and equipment. Fig 1 shows how the EU Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC) has applied to those manufacturing, commissioning or placing equipment on the market. This has been incorporated into UK domestic law through the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations, or CE Marking. Essential health and safety requirements relating to the design and construction of machinery are defined in Annex I of the Directive. Although standards are important tools for application of the Machinery Directive, they are not mandatory. However, once the references of harmonised standards have been published in the Official Journal of the European Union, application of their specifications confers a presumption of conformity with the essential health and safety requirements covered by the standard. The Machinery Directive is not the only Directive you may need to consider for CE marking! Others include: n Low Voltage Directive (LVD) - 2006/95/EC n Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive (EMC) - 2004/108/EC n Atmosphère Explosif (ATEX) – 94/9/EC n Pressure Equipment Directive (PED) – 97/23/EC And for those who operate, use, maintain or retrofit equipment, the Use of Work Equipment Directive (2009/104/EC) applies. Similarly, this is incorporated into UK domestic law through the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Directive (PUWER). Post-Brexit changes CE marking means that machines in the UK and Europe conform with the safety requirements of the 'Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008' and Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC respectively, before they can be sold and placed on the market. CE marking is the responsibility of the person who places the product on the market, or puts it into service, for the first time. Most new products placed on the European market must be CE marked. This includes products which are "new" to Europe. The transition to UKCA UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed) marking is the UK post-Brexit product marking that is used for goods being placed on the market in Great Britain. It came into effect on 1 January 2021. To allow businesses in the UK time to adjust to the post-Brexit regime, they will still (in most cases) be able to use the EU's CE marking system until the end of 2021. As the UK regulations just happen to be near-identical, word for word, to EC Directives, they will almost certainly remain in force as they are. And it seems highly unlikely that the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) would wish to see any relaxation of health and safety regulations in the UK. But the procedural changes will affect both machine users and machine builders. (a) For a machine builder selling into the GB market, both UKCA and CE marks are valid up until 31 December 2021. Currently, the requirements of both UKCA and CE are almost identical, but if the EU changes the requirements of CE marking, there is no commitment from the UK that they will incorporate the changes into the requirements of UKCA - and vice versa. (b) For a machine builder selling into the European market, the UKCA mark is not recognised. Products will still need to be CE marked and an "economic operator" within the EU engaged. (c) For a machine user in the UK who is purchasing, manufacturing, significantly upgrading or linking existing equipment, the option of UKCA or CE marking is available up until the end of 2021. After that, the UKCA mark must be used. (d) For those looking to purchase a machine from outside the UK, it must be UKCA marked and placed on the market by an "economic operator" in the UK. (e) An additional layer of complexity applies in Northern Ireland. n More details on UKCA marking will be discussed in Webinar 3 which takes place at 10am on Tuesday 6 July. This is the third part of our ‘Switching into safety engineering’ serieswhich will include comprehensive articles and follow-up ZoomQ&A sessions – to register for the series or to request a copy of the freemachinery safety guidebook, please visit www.drivesncontrols.com A series of feature articles and webinars sponsored by Euchner, covering the philosophy behind safe machinery and the role that the various types of safety switches and devices can perform. Sponsored by Fig 1: Applicable Directives and Regulations for Plant/Machinery in the EU and UK * An extended version of this article is available on our website: https://drivesncontrols.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/6671/Safety_Engineering.html where you will also be able to register for the follow-up Q & A Zoom session. Part Three of a Six-Part Series