Commission partially withdraws presumption of conformity EN 12312-9:2005 for aircraft ground equipment

The European Commission has decided to withdraw the presumption of conformity for clause 5.6 of the standard EN 12312-9:2005 ‘Aircraft ground support equipment – specific requirements. Container/Pallet loaders’.

It was France who initiated the withdrawal of the presumption of conformity. One of the main risks associated with airport container and pallet loaders is the risk of falling from the raised operating position and from other positions to which the operators have access when operating the cargo doors and handling the loads. The means of protection against this risk must be effective while accommodating the shape of the aircraft and avoiding damage to it. Having examined standard EN 12312-9:2005, the Commission has established that it fails to meet the essential health and safety requirement 1.5.15 of Annex I to Directive 98/37/EC on the risk of slipping, tripping or falling, in conjunction with the essential health requirement 1.1.2(b) of that Annex on the principles of safety integration.

After examining the standard, the Commission has established that it fails to meet the essential health and safety requirement 1.5.15 of Annex I to Directive 98/37/EC on the risk of slipping, tripping or falling, in conjunction with the essential health requirement 1.1.2(b) of that Annex on the principles of safety integration. In particular, clause 5.6 of the standard ‘Crushing, shearing and falling’, does not give specifications for the choice, design, location and construction of the means to be used to protect against falling from container and pallet loaders but only refers to the general specifications of EN 1915-1:2001, ‘Aircraft ground support equipment — General requirements — Part 1: Basic safety requirements’ which describe the various types of protection that can be used.