The revised guide to application of the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC

Revised Guide

The revised guide for the application of the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EG has been published in July 2017. This revised version contains an update of the second edition, which was published in June 2010, in which the following modifications in relation to the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC have been taken into account:

• The modifications in 2009/127/EC concerning pesticide equipment, and
• Regulation No 167/2013 concerning the approval of and the market supervision of agricultural and forestry vehicles.

The expanded explanations

The explanations of the following items are expanded:

• Assemblies,
• Partly completed machinery,
• Safety components ,
• New and used machinery,
• ICSMS, and
• The marking of machinery.

The explanations of assemblies, partly completed machinery, interchangeable equipment, safety components, new and used machinery and the marking of machinery are extended in the revised guide for the application of the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. It has been set that an industrial plant will not be classified as an assembly, unless the industrial plant forms a single integrated line. When an industrial plant contains a single integrated line, it needs to be classified as an assembly and therefore need to comply with the requirements of the Machinery Directive concerning assemblies.

Safety components

The explanation for safety components states that these components serve to prevent or reduce a risk. Also a indicative list is provided, which can be used as guideline to determine if a product is safety component. Please note, this list is not exhaustive, which makes it possible that unregistered products still have to be classified as a safety component.

How to deal with partly completed machinery

A partly completed machine cannot be seen as interchangeable equipment, as interchangeable equipment changes the function of the machine to which it is assembled. A partly completed machine is not subject to the CE marking under the Machine Directive. However, when a partly completed machine can be put under other Directives, the CE marking should be affixed based on the applicable Directives.

ICSMS

The Information and Communication System for Market Surveillance (ICSMS) has been set up to guarantee the safety of products. The base of ICSMS lies in Regulation No 765/2008 concerning market supervision.

The ICSMS is an addition in the revised guide for the application of the Machine Directive 2006/42/EC.

The system contains a database which is a tool for national authorities. The ICSMS ensures a quick and efficient way to exchange information between Member States, when a product is being investigated or when cooperation is needed to put a product in conformity with the applicable Directives. To prevent that an investigation will be duplicated, the ICSMS has to be filled in at the beginning of the investigation.

New and used machines

In accordance with Annex I of the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, a machine should bear the correct marking. The explanation in the revised guide for the application of the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC is complemented with requirements for the date of conformity for used machinery, which have not been placed on the European Market before. The date of conformity which is required for this type of machinery, is the same date as the date of importation of the machine to the European Union.