Guide to application of machinery directive - § 388 - ANNEX IV machinery and mandatory certification

ANNEX IV

Categories of machinery to which one of the procedures referred to in Article 12(3) and (4) must be applied

1.    Circular saws (single- or multi-blade) for working with wood and material with similar physical characteristics or for working with meat and material with similar physical characteristics, of the following types:

1.1. sawing machinery with fixed blade(s) during cutting, having a fixed bed or support with manual feed of the workpiece or with a demountable power feed;

1.2. sawing machinery with fixed blade(s) during cutting, having a manually operated reciprocating saw-bench or carriage;

1.3 sawing machinery with fixed blade(s) during cutting, having a built-in mechanical feed device for the workpieces, with manual loading and/or unloading;

1.4. sawing machinery with movable blade(s) during cutting, having mechanical movement of the blade, with manual loading and/or unloading.

2.    Hand-fed surface planing machinery for woodworking.

3.    Thicknessers for one-side dressing having a built-in mechanical feed device, with manual loading and/or unloading for woodworking.

4.    Band-saws with manual loading and/or unloading for working with wood and material with similar physical characteristics or for working with meat and material with similar physical characteristics, of the following types:

4.1. sawing machinery with fixed blade(s) during cutting, having a fixed or reciprocating-movement bed or support for the workpiece;

4.2. sawing machinery with blade(s) assembled on a carriage with reciprocating motion..

5.    Combined machinery of the types referred to in points 1 to 4 and in point 7 for working with wood and material with similar physical characteristics.

6.    Hand-fed tenoning machinery with several tool holders for woodworking.

7.    Hand-fed vertical spindle moulding machinery for working with wood and material with similar physical characteristics.

8.    Portable chainsaws for woodworking.

9.    Presses, including press-brakes, for the cold working of metals, with manual loading and/or unloading, whose movable working parts may have a travel exceeding 6 mm and a speed exceeding 30 mm/s.

10. Injection or compression plastics-moulding machinery with manual loading or unloading.

11. Injection or compression rubber-moulding machinery with manual loading or unloading.

12. Machinery for underground working of the following types:

12.1.    locomotives and brake-vans;

12.2.    hydraulic-powered roof supports.

13. Manually loaded trucks for the collection of household refuse incorporating a compression mechanism.

14. Removable mechanical transmission devices including their guards.

15. Guards for removable mechanical transmission devices.

16. Vehicle servicing lifts.

17. Devices for the lifting of persons or of persons and goods involving a hazard of falling from a vertical height of more than three metres.

18. Portable cartridge-operated fixing and other impact machinery.

19. Protective devices designed to detect the presence of persons.

20. Power-operated interlocking movable guards designed to be used as safeguards in machinery referred to in points 9, 10 and 11.

21. Logic units to ensure safety functions.

22. Roll-over protective structures (ROPS).

23. Falling-object protective structures (FOPS).

§388   Categories of machinery that may be subject to one of the conformity assessment procedures involving a Notified Body

Annex IV sets out the list of categories of machinery that may be subject to one of the two conformity assessment procedures involving a Notified Body: EC type-examination or Full quality assurance. These categories include machinery in the broad sense – see §33: comments on Article 2. Machinery belonging to one of the categories listed in Annex IV may also be subject to the procedure for assessment of conformity with internal checks when it is manufactured in accordance with harmonised standards that cover all of the applicable EHSRs – see §129 and §130: comments on Article 12 (3) and (4).

The list set out in Annex IV is exhaustive, in other words, only the machinery belonging to the categories listed is subject to the conformity assessment procedures set out in Article 12 (3) and (4). Machinery belonging to categories not listed in Annex IV, even if it is similar or presents similar hazards to the categories listed, is subject only to the procedure for assessment of conformity with internal checks – see §128: comments on Article 12 (2).

Items 1 to 8

Item 1 covers only circular saws for working with wood and analogous materials or for working with meat or analogous materials belonging to the categories referred to in items 1.1 to 1.4.

It should also be noted that not all circular saws for working wood are concerned; for example, sawing machinery with a blade moved by hand during cutting (such as some mitre saws) are not referred to in Annex IV.

Materials analogous to wood include, for example, chipboard, fibreboard, plywood (and also these materials when they are covered with plastic or light alloy laminates), cork, bone, rigid rubber or plastic. On the other hand, stone, concrete and similar materials requiring an abrasive type of cutting tool are not considered as materials analogous to wood.

Materials analogous to meat include fish and frozen or deep-frozen food.

Items 1.3, 1.4, 3 and 4 refer to manual loading and/or unloading. Manual loading and/or unloading occurs when the operator places workpieces directly in the feed device or workpiece support device and removes them directly from that device, so that it is possible for the operator to have direct contact with the workpiece while it is in contact with the tool. Machinery is not considered to have manual loading or unloading if it is equipped with a feed device or a device for loading and unloading workpieces (such as, for example, a conveyor) such that the tools are out of reach of the user while the device is being used and the machinery cannot be operated without the device.

Items 1.1, 2, 6 and 7 refer to manual feed or hand fed machinery. Manual feed or hand feed occurs when either the workpiece or the tool is manually moved during machining so that it is possible for the operator to come into contact with the tool. The same applies to the machinery with a manually operated reciprocating saw-bench or carriage referred to in item 1.2.

The combined woodworking machinery referred to in item 5 is machinery designed to carry out any combination of the functions referred to in items 1 to 4 and 7, with manual removal of the workpiece between each operation - see §210: comments on section 1.3.5 of Annex I. Only combined machinery carrying out functions referred to in items 1 to 4 and 7 is subject to item 5 of Annex IV, however such machinery may also carry out other additional functions. Since the necessary protective measures are often common to several or all of the combined functions, the EC type-examination or the assessment of the full quality assurance system for such combined woodworking machinery shall always concern the entire machinery.

The vertical spindle moulding machines referred to in item 7 have a spindle passing through the table and a drive motor situated beneath the table. Routing machinery with a spindle located completely above the table is not covered by item 7.

Item 9

The presses for cold working of metals referred to in item 9 are presses the intended or foreseeable use of which includes the possibility of the operator placing or removing workpieces between the tools with his hands without the use of integrated ancillary handling devices. The term 'cold working' refers to the shaping of metal without heating, usually at room temperature. The term 'metal' refers to material in sheet, rolled or forged form.

Item 9 only applies to presses with movable working parts having both of the two following characteristics:

-          a travel greater than 6 mm, and

-          a closing speed greater than 30 mm/s.

When establishing the closing speed of mechanical presses, the highest instantaneous speed reached by the slide (in general, at about the mid-point of its travel) should be taken into consideration.

Item 9 does not cover other kinds of machinery for cold working of metals such as, for example:

-          sintering presses,

-          alligator or guillotine shears,

-          riveting, stapling or stitching machines,

-          assembly presses,

-          bending machines,

-          straightening presses,

-          turret punch presses,

-          extruder presses,

-          drop forging or drop stamping presses,

-          blow forging presses,

-          isostatic presses.

Items 10 and 11

The plastics and rubber moulding machinery referred to in items 10 and 11 is machinery designed for working polymers, such as thermoplastics and thermosets, or rubber, by injection or compression. Loading and unloading refers only to placing and removal of material or parts in and out of the mould. Loading and unloading is not considered as manual if:

-      the machinery is designed to operate only with robot or manipulator equipment,

or

-      the machinery is fitted with loading and unloading devices such that it is not possible to operate the machinery without those devices.

In all other cases, loading and unloading shall be considered as manual.

Item 12

Locomotives for underground working referred to in item 12.1 are self-powered vehicles running on a track of one or two rails situated above or under the vehicle for use in mines or other underground workings, designed for hauling or transporting persons, materials or mineral. Brake vans are railway vehicles for underground working equipped with a brake which can be applied by the operator.

Hydraulic-powered roof supports referred to in item 12.2 are usually self-advancing supports used to support the roof at a mine face. They include:

-            one support unit under adjacent control;

-            several support units under group control;

-            entire mine face support systems under central control.

Tunnelling machines are not covered by item 12.

Item 13

An explanation of the term 'manual loading' with respect to manually loaded trucks for the collection of household refuse incorporating a compression mechanism referred to in item 13 is given in a specific guidance document. The document also shows examples of machinery that is within the scope of item 13 and machinery that is outside the scope of item 13.

In general, the vehicle itself is excluded from the scope of the Machinery Directive, so the machinery referred to in item 13 is the refuse collection and compression equipment mounted on the chassis – see §37: comments on the third indent of Article 2 (a), and §54: comments on Article 1 (2) (e).