Machinery Directive 98/37/EC

What? Why? When? How? Help?

What is it?

The Machinery Directive is an EU Product Directive.

The Machinery Directive lays down requirements for mechanical equipment where the major risk to safety is mechanical.

Products within the scope of the Directive must comply at the first "putting on the market" or "putting into service" in EEA. Thereafter the Directives carry no bearing on the product's operation and maintenance.  (Individual national regulations apply for the operation and maintenance phases).

Why do we need it?

Prior to the Machinery Directive each EU member state had its own regime for regulating such equipment. Each was based upon a national perception of safety hazards. The Machinery Directive creates a single legal structure within which goods can be sold on the entire EU market without having to submit to a multitude of national approval regimes.

A product that complies with the Machinery Directive in one EU member state must be accepted in all member states.

When does the Machinery Directive come into force?

The Directive, in its original form, was in force in 1989 but it has been amended twice since.  The latest amendment is not yet in force but the first amendment has been in force since 1 January 1993.

How to comply with the Machinery Directive?

The Machinery Directive Directive simply requires products to have protection against: 

• hazards resulting from the product itself
• hazards to the product arising from external influences

The detailed technical requirements are not specified in the Directive, but in harmonised standards.  

Conformity with harmonised standards "guarantees" conformity with the Directive. Their application, however, is not mandatory. If harmonised standards are not suited to a specific product, any alternative standard or solution may be applied if it can be shown to carry equivalent safety. It is, however, difficult to demonstrate equivalent safety. One solution to this problem is CEproof’s HAZproofTM service.

For higher risk machinery, third party certification is required from a Notified Body.

Think your product(s) must comply? 

• Contact CEproof:
• Text and Standards for Machinery Directive
• DTI Guide on the Machinery Directive
  

Telephone: UK - 0871 2884 987; Elsewhere +44 20 8133 0205

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