On July 11, 2014 the European Commission has published an updated list of European harmonized standards that pertain to the Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC) in the Official Journal of the European Union. Besides updates to existing standards, this list (2014/C 220/01) also contains 16 new standards.
Ask The Commission About The EU Machinery Directive
If you could, what would would you ask the European Commission about the Machinery Directive? Now is your chance!
Bedding firm fined over multiple safety failings
A Rochdale bedding manufacturer has been fined £50,000 after a health and safety inspection found the majority of its machines were unsafe to use.
European Commission updates list of European Harmonized Standards for the Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC)
On 29 February, the European Commission published an updated list of the European harmonized standards that pertain to the Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC). The standards on this list may be used by machinery manufacturers to prove that their machinery complies with the essential requirements of this directive.
Metal firm’s safety flaws exposed after worker crushed
A Rotherham firm has been prosecuted for safety failings after a maintenance engineer was crushed by a 1.5 tonne weight landing on his back. The worker suffered a broken shoulder, two cracked ribs and the tops of three vertebrae were snapped off when he was trapped between the counterweight of a large zinc galvanizing machine and a junction box. The counterweight and tub that lowers the metal into the zinc The incident, on 27 September 2010 at Yorkshire Spin Galvanising Ltd in Cornish Way, Rotherham, prompted an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Rotherham Magistrates’ Court was told that the worker went to investigate a fault and climbed onto a gantry inside the machine. When the fault cleared he went to the rear of the gantry, out of sight of the operator, to check another repair he had recently made. The machine was still running and as he leaned over a guardrail to get a good view, the counterweight descended – pinning him against the junction box. He managed to shout ‘stop’ to alert his colleagues before losing consciousness and a co-worker at the control panel was able to lift the weight up to free him. HSE Inspector Denise Fotheringham said after the hearing: “This could easily have been a fatal incident considering the weight of this part. “In this case, the company’s procedures fell well below those we would normally expect. The machine is very large and maintenance workers routinely entered to fault-find. There were also blind spots where an engineer would be out of sight of the operator. “There were no systems to isolate the machinery and engineers relied on emergency stops and interlocks. That’s woefully inadequate as there is a risk the machine could be re-started with the engineer inside. “Machines should always be fully … Read More
Manufacturer Prosecuted Over Factory Worker’s Death
A global manufacturer has been fined £180,000 after a worker was killed at an Andrex factory in Barrow-in-Furness.
Machine manufacturers: are your machines up to date with the new standards?
The European Commission published an update of the list of European harmonized standards that machinery manufacturers may use to prove CE compliance with the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC.