Here you'll find answers relating to machinery safety, industrial safety regulations, directives and standards. Or take advantage of the specialist knowledge of our experts by asking them your specific question.
FAQ: Laws and standards
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Overview of FAQ: Laws and standards
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- Is the control cabinet for a machine subject to DIN EN 61439-1 or DIN EN 60204-1?
- Is there a standardised value for human reaction time?
- May the "safe" signal from a Pilz evaluation device be directed to a PLC (LOGO) in order to enable operations there or must there be another contact after the PLC?
- When the manufacturer needs spare parts for an older machine, must these spare parts meet the requirements of the current Machinery Directive?
- Can I place a plant or machine on the market without instructions, if these are supplied at a later date?
- What is the password for the sample projects in the PNOZmulti Configurator?
- What constitutes a competent person?
- What must an EC declaration of conformity look like (layout)?
- Is it absolutely necessary for an emergency stop control device to be installed in new plants or can a "contactor version" be used?
- What documentation must a manufacturer provide to the customer when a machine is delivered?
- There is no hazard emanating from a machine. Does it still fall under the scope of the Machinery Directive?
- EN 619 illustrates a conveyor line for an unprotected area within a protected area (safety fence). Would such a conveyor line be deemed to be no longer accessible from a conveyor height >/=1000mm? Is an additional safeguard not required in this case?
- On the PNOZ x1, is there a test interval stated, in which the relay's safety function must be tested?
- What must be considered in the case of safety components (scanners, light beam devices etc.) that we have in stock and were placed on the market prior to 2009? Can I use these them any time?
- What is the difference between Type A, B and C standards?
- Can a robot within a safety fence be safeguarded by a door that opens inwards?
- If the changes made to a machine are not considered significant in accordance with the Product Safety Act (ProdSG), do they still need to be documented?
- Is the manufacturer of a plant/machine obliged to supply the risk assessment to his customers?
- What do we mean by an assembly of machines?
- Who has responsibility when CE marking a machine?
- Who is responsible for producing the instructions for use?
- How often must electrosensitive protective equipment be inspected?
- Does used machinery need to be updated to the state of the art?
- New CE certification when a machine is relocated from Slovakia to Bulgaria?
- Is there a standard that states how high the reduced speed may be, on conveyors for example, if the conveyor is not enclosed?
- If a machine has been used in production for a long time, does it need to be modified so that it complies with the new MD?
- How quickly is the "hazard detectable?" and where can we look up the data?
- May instructions for use contain references to other instructions?
- Does the E-STOP of a machine built in 2005 now have to renamed to emergency stop?
- What is the definition of a "slight injury" and a "serious injury"?
- Design of robots: Which standards need to be considered?
- What has changed with the "new" standard EN ISO 12100?
- Can single and dual-channel emergency stops be used together on a plant?
- When do you need to carry out forced dynamisation?
- In accordance with the Machinery Directive, does an old machine (built in 1980) have to be CE certified following a retrofit (modernisation)?
- If modifications are made that do not represent a significant change, who is responsible for the safety of these modifications?
- Into which language must the instructions for use be translated where subsidiaries abroad are concerned?
- Is a semi-automatic underfloor wheel lathe allowed to operate without supervision? Or is there a guide as to how near the operator must be to the machine?
- May a 2-channel safety gate with a 2-channel emergency stop be connected in series to the PNOZ e1p?
- Is the muting lamp mandatory? Are there any conditions under which it can be omitted?
- When the emergency stop is operated on a machine, does it have to be reset/acknowledged on each individual machine?
- What information/standard must be stated in the declaration of conformity: EN ISO 13849-1:2008 or EN ISO 13849-1:2008/AC:2009?
- When must the declaration of conformity be supplied to a customer?
- What safety concept must be applied on large machining centres?
- Assembly of machines / responsibility for compliance with the directives / significant change?
- An existing machine that is already CE certified is to be assembled with new, partly completed machinery. Must the new machine undergo new CE certification?
- If a machine has two operator panels, must these be mutually interlocked? The machine is a maximum of 3x4m in size and is to be operated from two sides.
- What qualifications are associated with gaining the title "Certified Machinery Safety Expert"?
- Is it correct to say that there is no need to take any additional safety measures against pinching if the lifting speed of a manually operated box lifter is low?
- Is it possible to connect as many emergency stop pushbuttons as possible in series, in order to simplify a circuit (designed to Cat. 4)?
- What is the Russian Machinery Directive and does this have an impact on other markets?
- In the instructions for use, is it mandatory to use the same colours for symbols etc as those used on the machine?
- If a safety gate has dual-channel locking incl. on-site evaluation, is it necessary to conduct another on-site evaluation in the control cabinet?
- An emergency stop pushbutton is to be incorporated on a machine (built in 1991) without CE marking. Is it now necessary to issue a declaration of conformity?
- What are the steps that make up validation in accordance with EN ISO 13849-2?
- Which standard/regulation contains information about safeguarding a maintenance hatch?
- The control cabinet and machine have different numbers on the CE mark. Is this permitted?
- Which standards are applied for carrying out maintenance work using repair instructions?
- In a risk assessment, how do you distinguish between a "slight injury" and a "serious injury"?
- Which MD is applicable when conducting a retrospective conformity assessment for a machine?
- Are there standard inspection periods for machinery?
- What are the technical rules for operational safety?
- When is the use of retained fastenings specified?
- Does an employer have to confirm the knowledge of competent persons?
- Is the application of standards obligatory for a machine manufacturer?
- What does the colour for an area emergency stop pushbutton need to be?
- What Performance Level should be implemented for the machine's emergency stop if all the hazards are protected by fixed guards?
- What force can components exert without causing serious injury? Where can I find this data?
- Is personal protective equipment counted as work equipment in accordance with the industrial safety regulations BetrSichV?
- Does an EC declaration of conformity always have to be signed?
- We would like to relocate within the EU a machine that has been built and certified in accordance with the Machinery Directive 98/37/EC. May this machine be put back into service in this way?
- Where can I find the current guide to the application of the Machinery Directive and who is it aimed at specifically?
- Must an operating mode selector switch be safely evaluated?
- Can a machine be placed on the market without instructions for use, if these are supplied at a later date?
- Can an emergency stop pushbutton be replaced by an operational stop pushbutton?
- Is it permitted for the machine and control cabinet on a plant to each have a CE mark?
- Is the title Certified Machinery Safety Expert internationally recognised?
- Who is an authorised representative under the MD?
- In which TRBS (technical rules for operational safety) is the term "competent person" explained/defined?
- How are the responsibilities divided when a machine builder subcontracts the electrical design?
- An emergency stop pushbutton is to be incorporated on a machine (built in 1989). Will the machine now need to be CE certified?
- If a machine has a manual workstation, where parts are inserted and then the safety gate is closed and locked, may the machine restart automatically or must the start be initiated manually?
- What safety requirements apply when remote maintenance is carried out on machinery?
- Which standard is applied to avoid reaching danger zones by climbing?
- Does an electrical design engineer share responsibility when his company does not or will not apply the new safety standards and can he possibly avoid this responsibility through the signature of his employer. Or must he declare his non co-operation if he fails to receive the necessary information about the requirement for risk reduction and possibly only receives the verbal message that "We build to Category 2 as always"?
- At what intervals must safety light beam devices be inspected? Are there any sources or forms for this?
- Do PNOZ units for 230V operating voltage meet the conditions for PELV for the start and input circuits in accordance with EN 50178? Where is that documented?
- How can the start button and the "Travel to start position" button be read into the PNOZmulti?
- Is is necessary to list all the applied harmonised standards in the EC declaration of conformity or is it sufficient to name only selected standards?
- Latin American customer / North American manufacturer: Who is the person placing the machine on the market when the machine manufacturer delivers it directly to its destination within the European Union?
- Must the declaration of conformity/incorporation be included in the instructions for use?
- PSENmag2.1p-21 are installed to poll the safety gates - one PSEN per safety gate to a PNOZmulti m1p (via test pulse outputs). How is the PSEN transferred to SISTEMA?
- How do I test a PNOZ, for example, in accordance with BetrSichV? Is it sufficient to trigger the emergency stop function via an emergency stop switch and to test the switch-off action of the PNOZ?
- Must the manufacturer still carry out a risk assessment for a machine that has been built to fully meet the requirements of a harmonised C standard?
- When must instructions for use be produced/supplied?
- What must be considered when a machine is set up in a different location (within the production hall)?
- What documentation must an external control cabinet manufacturer provide to the machine builder? Is the control cabinet already considered to be partly completed machinery? Is a manufacturer's declaration / declaration of incorporation required?
- Does the CE marking expire if the person who signed it leaves the company?
- If a device has a "Safe Stop" function to Category 3 in accordance with EN ISO 954-1, can it be assumed that it is a well-tried component with an MTTFd of 50 years in accordance with EN ISO 13849-1?
- What safety devices may be disabled for commissioning?
- Which functional safety values can be adopted to calculate a safety function (with PAScal) for a PT100 sensor? Are there standardised values, for the pneumatic components in the generic database for example?
- May a machine that was built prior to 1995 and therefore has no CE mark simply be sold on? Which documents need to be provided in this case?
- May a manual emergency stop bypass (e.g. via key switch) be used for a removable manual control element? If the answer is yes, what would an appropriate circuit look like? Is it necessary to use a shorting plug?
- Does the Machinery Directive include a restriction stating that emergency stop pushbuttons may not be designed as mushroom-headed pushbuttons?
- Which equipment identifier would be correct for a safety relay (e.g. PNOZ) for an emergency stop switch application in accordance with EN 81346?
- The EC declaration of conformity requires a person who is authorised to compile the technical file. Must this person be employed by the manufacturer?
- A wastewater treatment plant was extended to include a conveyor. It stands next to a press, which has an emergency stop (E-STOP) circuit. Can the conveyor have a separate emergency stop circuit?
- What happens if Category III pressure equipment is to be incorporated as a functional unit into a machine that complies with the Machine Directive? How do you carry out a conformity procedure?
- What is to be considered when, for a defined period, a plant is to be constructed of different modules for experimental purposes?
Contact
Pilz Automation Ltd
Pilz House, Little Colliers Field
Corby, Northants, NN18 8TJ
United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 1536 460766
E-Mail: sales@pilz.co.uk
Technical Support
Telephone: +44 1536 462203
E-Mail: techsupport@pilz.co.uk