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Standards
for the safety of man and machine
Scope of the standards in relation to the legislation
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Status of the standards in America
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The legal basis in the USA can be seen as a mix of product standards, fire codes (NFPA), electrical codes (NEC) and national laws. Local government bodies have the authority to monitor that these codes are being enforced and implemented. [... more]
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Status of the standards in Europe
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Benefits of the division between standards and legislation
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The legal status of standards is constantly under discussion. Within the scope of the European directives that are subject to mandatory CE-marking, a manufacturer is not bound by standards or other specifications. He simply needs to comply with the health and safety requirements of the directive(s). The associated benefits of a division between standards and legislation are obvious: It is easier for legislators to agree on the essential requirements than on technical details. Also, the directives do not regularly have to be adapted to the state of technology. Member states can use their own legal system for incorporation and manufacturers are free to select the ways in which they implement the requirements of the directive.
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Subdivision into A, B and C standards*
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Standards in Europe are subdivided into what are termed A, B, and C standards:
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- Type A standards are generic standards containing essential information on the design, strategy and operation of the European machinery directive standardisation. [... more]
- Type B standards are group standards, subdivided into B1 and B2 standards. B1 standards detail the overriding safety aspects while B2 standards cover the actual safety devices. [... more]
- Type C standards are product standards, containing detailed requirements for specific machinery with reference to the B standards. Two institutions are responsible for drafting these standards, namely CEN for European standards and CENELEC for electrical regulations.
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* Quoted from: Gräf, Winfried: Machinery safety book. Reflections on the European safety standards. Heidelberg: Hüthig GmbH & Co. KG, Heidelberg, 3., completely revised and expanded edition, 2004. Always up-to-date: In addition to what we offer in this Internet portal we recommend that you also visit our Safety technology seminars.
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