Very soon the international standard ISO 14120:2014 (and BS EN ISO 14120 in the UK), Safety of machinery – Guards – General requirements for the design, construction and selection of fixed and movable guards will supersede and replace the Harmonised European standard EN 953:1997+A1 (and BS EN 953:1997+A1 in the UK).

Shortly after the new standard has been published, it is expected to be Harmonised as a European standard (EN ISO 14120) and published in the Official Journal (OJ) of the European Union. Compliance with the new guarding standard will therefore provide a presumption of conformity with certain Essential Health and Safety Requirements (EHSRs) of the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. Whereas EN 953 was a European standard, ISO 14120 is an International standard (the UK equivalent from BSI will be BS EN ISO 14120), so machine builders exporting outside the European Union are likely to benefit by only having to design and manufacture in compliance with one main guarding standard.

Procter’s White Paper gives a detailed, clause-by-clause breakdown of the changes and explains the implications for machine builders. For example, there are important changes relating to fixings for fixed guards, protective bonding of guards with electrically conductive parts, and the suitability of fixed and movable guards in relation to the frequency with which access is required. There are also more stringent requirements for the validation/verification of machine guard designs. Depending on specific application requirements, the new standard could have significant implications for machine builders and guard designers.

Copies of the White Paper can be downloaded from www.machinesafety.co.uk.