Machinery safety regulation lays down health and safety requirements for the design and construction of machinery, placed on the European market. 

Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2023 on machinery replaces Directive 2006/42/EC on machinery. The regulation defines the mandatory essential health and safety requirements that machinery products must fulfil to be placed on the European market, as well as the procedures for assessing their conformity.

From January 2027, the new Regulation becomes mandatory, and all economic operators must apply it. The requirements of the Regulation are aimed at machinery manufacturers and other economic operators such as importers.

What is Machinery Safety in EU?

Machinery Safety in the European Union (EU) refers to the legal and technical requirements that ensure machinery manufactured and imported within the EU is in compliance with safety standards. This is a vital concern in any industry as it ensures the safety of workers and assets and minimizes production downtime and liability risks.

The EU addresses machinery safety through comprehensive regulations that set machinery safety standards for manufacturers to follow. These directives outline requirements for design, manufacturing, and risk assessment of machinery to ensure compliance.

In addition, the EU machinery regulations provide guidelines for assessment procedures to enforce compliance and enhance machine safety across member states.

Why machinery safety is important？

Machinery safety is critically important because it directly protects human life, ensures smooth industrial operations, and supports legal and ethical compliance in manufacturing and workplace environments.

• Compliance: Compliance with machinery safety standards reduces worker risks and safeguards your brand reputation, helping you gain customer trust and a competitive edge.
• Market entry: Adhering to worldwide machinery safety standards is a vital step in entering new markets.
• Efficiency: Machinery safety services also help you enhance machinery performance, helping it function more efficiently and last longer, translating into cost savings.

General Product Safety Regulation (EU) 2023/988

The General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR), EU Regulation 2023/988, is a European Union regulation aimed at ensuring the safety of consumer products.

Learn more about GPSR: What is GPSR？EU General Product Safety Regulation

Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC

Directive 2006/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 May 2006 on machinery, and amending Directive 95/16/EC aims at the free market circulation on machinery and at the protection of workers and consumers using such machinery. It defines essential health and safety requirements of general application, supplemented by a number of more specific requirements for certain categories of machinery.

This Directive applies to machinery, interchangeable equipment, safety components, lifting accessories, chains, ropes and webbing, removable mechanical transmission devices and partly completed machinery.

Directive 2006/42/EC has been repealed by Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 on machinery. This Regulation applies from 20 January 2027.

Machinery safety requirements (2023)

The Machinery Regulation (2023/1230) is a legal framework established by the European Parliament and the Council of European Union to ensure the safety and reliability of machinery placed on the market.

In comparison with the 2006 Directive, the Regulation clarifies some complex issues such as 'incomplete machinery' and 'substantial modifications'. The Machinery Regulation also intends to better cover new technologies such as autonomous mobile machinery (robots), internet of things with connected equipment, or artificial intelligence (AI), where specific modules of AI using learning techniques ensure safety functions.

Check the regulation (EU) 2023/1230 on machinert: Machinery safety requirements (2023).pdf

what is the aim of the regulation?

• It sets out, at the European Union (EU) level, rules for machinery, related products* and partly completed machinery, in order to ensure a high level of safety for EU workers and citizens.
• It also ensures, for the aspects covered by the regulation, the free movement of compliant machinery, related products and partly completed machinery within the single market.
• It repeals and replaces Directive 2006/42/EC, as of 20 January 2027.
• It is in the form of a regulation to ensure a more uniform interpretation of key concepts.

The Scope of Machinery safety requirements (2023)

This regulation covers machinery and the following related products:

• interchangeable equipment;
• safety components;
• lifting accessories;
• chains, ropes and webbing;
• removable mechanical transmission devices.

It also applies to partly completed machinery. A number of products are expressly excluded, including transport by air, on water and on rail networks, although the regulation still applies to the machinery mounted on those means of transport.

Health and safety essential requirements and presumption of conformity

• When placing machinery or related products covered by the regulation on the market or putting them into service, manufacturers must ensure that they have been designed and constructed in accordance with the essential health and safety requirements set out in Annex III to the regulation.
• When placing partly completed machinery covered by the regulation on the market, manufacturers must ensure that it has been designed and constructed in accordance with the relevant essential health and safety requirements set out in Annex III to the regulation.
• Voluntary harmonised standards (cited in the Official Journal of the European Union) or common specifications (published in the Official Journal) provide, if applied, presumption of conformity to the corresponding essential requirements.
• Common specifications may be established by the European Commission, via implementing acts, where certain conditions have been fulfilled.

CE marking, EU declaration of conformity, safety information and instructions: machinery or related products

• Where the compliance of machinery or related products covered by the regulation with the applicable requirements has been demonstrated, manufacturers must then draw up an EU declaration of conformity and affix the CE marking.
• The EU declaration of conformity and instructions for use (which also include the safety information) will have to be provided with all machinery or related products. The EU declaration of conformity and instructions for use (which also include the safety information) may be provided in digital format. If they are provided in digital format, the manufacturer must fulfil specific obligations. For machinery or related products for non-professional use, the safety information that is essential for putting it into service and for using it in a safe way must, however, be provided in paper format. Customers will still be able to ask to be provided with the instructions for use in paper format free of charge.

EU declaration of incorporation and assembly instructions: partly completed machinery

• Where the compliance of partly completed machinery covered by the regulation with the relevant essential requirements has been demonstrated, manufacturers shall draw up the EU declaration of incorporation.
• The EU declaration of incorporation and the assembly instructions, which may be provided in digital format, will have to be provided with every type of partly completed machinery covered by the regulation. If they are provided in digital format, the manufacturer must fulfil specific obligations. The person who incorporates the partly completed machinery will still be able to ask to be provided with the assembly instructions in paper format free of charge.

What is the Difference of EU legislations?

Understand the differences of General Product Safety Regulation (EU) 2023/988, Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, New Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/123 and what they mean for you.

How GIS Inspection can help you with machinery safety

GIS Inspection is a leading third-party quality control services agency in China, and we provide a comprehensive quality inspection for mechanical products. Our technical experts have experience in inspecting a wide range of machinery and mechanical products.

Our services ensure that your business will meet industry standards and regulatory requirements for safety and quality anywhere in the world.