User Manual

SAFETY
Safety handbook page - 1-
PNSPO
1.0 Background of this Handbook
The European Union is one of the most important industrial areas worldwide.
By doing their daily work 4,8% of workers become injured by industrial accidents
(approximately 10 Million persons). Serious and lethal accidents happen to 0,17% of
the workers (8000 person are killed per year).
The reasons for these accidents on one hand are human negligence and insufficient
safety of machinery on the other hand.
To improve the safety level and to eliminate barriers of trade within the European
Community the treaty of Maastricht initialised the harmonised EC legislation in 1992.
The Articles 100a and 118a (revised in Article 95 and 137 of the treaty of Amsterdam
1997) build the basis for a constant level of safety for machinery and place of work..
This safety handbook intends to offer a guideline how to ensure safety using the
machine directive 98/37/EC.
In addition, the directive for use of work equipment by workers and their working
environment, 89/655/EEC (with amendment 95/63/EC) is the minimum requirement for
national labour safety legislation within the EC.
Beside this directive there are several directives that have to be considered depending
on the application. Please refer to chapter 8.
1.1 Necessity of machine safety
The safety of persons, goods and animals is a target that has to be considered first if
we design build or use any machinery.
The machine directive 98/37/EC specifies the essential health and safety requirements
for machinery and safety components.
Beside the general ethic obligation the conformity with this essential requirements is
indispensable for trade and utilisation of machinery within the EC.
Machinery designed and manufactured for internal use must also correspond to the
machine directive and must be CE marked.
1.2 Targeted Audience
This safety handbook is aimed to all those who are somehow involved with machinery
at some stage of its life cycle.
All persons that are in touch with design, manufacturing, use, maintenance and
approval of machinery can take benefit.
Following groups of persons are mainly targeted:
Designers
Manufacturers
Panel makers
Installation companies
Maintenance and service personnel
Users , plant owners
Dealers