Machinery Directive (98/37/Ec) - Siemens SINUMERIK 840D sl Function Manual

03.06
The EU Directives are equal. This means that if several Directives apply for a spe-
cific piece of equipment or device, then the requirements of all of the relevant Di-
rectives apply (e.g. for a machine with electrical equipment, then the Machinery
Directive and the Low-Voltage Directive apply).
1.2.1

Machinery Directive (98/37/EC)

With the introduction of a European common market, a decision was made that the
domestic Standards and regulations of all of the EU Member States – that are in-
volved with the technical implementation of machines – would be harmonized. This
means that the Machinery Directive had to be implemented – as an internal market
Directive – as far as the content was concerned – in the domestic legislation of the
individual Member States. For the Machinery Directive, this was realized with the
objective to achieve standard protective goals thus removing trade barriers result-
ing from technical differences. Corresponding to its definition "a machine is an as-
sembly of linked parts or components – at least one of which moves", this Directive
is extremely extensive. The range of applications was subsequently expanded to
include "safety-related components" and "exchangeable equipment" in the form of
revision Directives.
The Machinery Directive involves the implementation of machines. It has 14 Ar-
ticles and 7 Annexes. The basic safety and health requirements specified in Annex
I of the Directive must be fulfilled for the safety of machines. The manufacturer
must carefully observe the following principles when it comes to integrating safety
(Annex I, Paragraph 1.1.2):
a) "Machinery must be constructed that it is fitted for its functions, and can be
adjusted and maintained without putting persons at risk when these opera-
tions are carried-out under the conditions foreseen by the manufacturer."
"The measures must...eliminate...any risks of accidents...!"
b) "When selecting the appropriate solutions, the manufacturer must apply the
following basic principles – and more precisely, in the specified sequence:
S Eliminate or minimize hazards (by integrating the safety concept into the
development and construction of the machine);
S Apply and use the necessary protective measures to protect against dan-
gers that cannot be avoided;
S Inform the user about the residual dangers due to the fact that the safety
measures applied are not completely effective."
The protective goals must be responsibly implemented in order to fulfill the require-
ments for conformity with the Directive.
The manufacturer of a machine must provide proof that his machine is in com-
pliance with the basic requirements. This proof is made more simple by applying
harmonized Standards.
© Siemens AG, 2006. All rights reserved
SINUMERIK 840D sl/SINAMICS S120 SINUMERIK Safety Integrated (FBSI sl) – 03.2006 Edition
Regulations and Standards
1.2 Safety of machinery in Europe
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