1.3 The new Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC

The currently valid EC Machinery Directive 98/37/EC will be replaced from 29 December 2009 by the new Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. Directive 98/37/EC will apply until then. The incorporation into national law must be complete by 29 June 2008 (in Germany by the amendment to the machine ordinance – 9. GPSGV). Extensive changes are especially prevalent with the conformity assessment procedure of Annex IV Machines. In the event that there are no harmonized EU standards or the product was not constructed under compliance of these standards, an EC Type Examination by a recognized test center is currently required. The new directive now opens up the option of selfcertification for the manufacturer without the participation of a test center, if they have a quality assurance procedure in accordance with Annex X. Of course the option of having machines certified voluntarily by a recognized test center is always optional.

Further changes are:

• The basic safety and health requirements (Annex I) will in future require a risk assessment by the manufacturer.
  
  
• In the old Machinery Directive there are different procedures for proving the safety of machinery, exchangeable equipment, safety components, chains/ropes/belts for lifting purposes, cardan shafts and load-carrying equipment. In the future the same machine regulations will also apply for these products. They will have to be distributed in the future with CE conformity assessment, declaration of conformity and the required user information.
  
  
• The requirements for "part-machines" (also referred to as "incomplete machines") have been re-formulated in the new version of the Machinery Directive. Until now a manufacturer declaration was sufficient, but in the future the manufacturer will also have to supply a declaration of incorporation, which must specify which requirements of the directive apply to the part-machine and have been complied with. Installation instructions must be provided with the machine’s documentation.
  
  
• Lifting devices with a speed of up to 0.15 m/s of the load carrier are subject to the Machinery Directive; with a speed of more than 0.15 m/s they are subject to the Lift Directive (if they are not covered by its rules of exception).
  
  
• The delimitation of the Low Voltage Directive is no longer regulated as risk-related, but rather product-related.
  
  
• Construction site lifts are subject to the Machinery Directive.
  
  
• Instead of a "hazard analysis" a risk assessment and "risk evaluation" are required.
  
  
• Clearer delimitation of the Machinery Directive for the Low Voltage Directive.
  
  
• Internal production controls for series machines (Annex VIII).
  
  
• The validity of EC Type Examination certifications must be checked by the test center every 5 years. Manufacturers and test centers are obligated to retain the relevant technical documents for 15 years.
  
  

The new Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC can be found in its original German text at
http://eur-lex.europa.eu.