The Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC replaces, since Dicember 29, 2009, the previous Directive 98/37/EC that covered conformity assessment procedures.

The new Directive was implemented in Italy with the Legislative Decree n. 17 of January 27, 2010, published on the Italian Official Journal n.41 of February 19, 2010 and became effective on March 6, 2010.

The new Directive brought about many major changes to the previous one, especially highlighting the safety assessment procedure, the concepts related to ergonomics and the principles of man-machine relations. Important is the introduction to the “partly completed machinery”, namely something that “is only intended to be incorporated into or assembled with other machinery or other partly completed machinery or equipment”.

This new Machinery Directive also covers some “aspects” related to the lifts previously covered by the Lifts Directive, such as “elevators with speed lower than 0,15 m/s” (like elevating platforms), and “elevators not working on rigid guides”.

Annex IV was also substantially changed (includes now the list of machinery regarded as the most dangerous ones). In this Annex we won't find anymore machinery intended for the manufacture of pyrotechnics nor logic blocks for two-hand controls, but we will find others, like portable devices with explosive propellent (for example a nailer).

Vericert S.r.l. can operate in the scope of this Directive as a Notified Body, for the conformity assessment of the machines included in Annex IV, when the Manufacturer must contact a third part Body and when self-certifying (in this case if the Manufacturer needs the support of an Expert Body).

>>> Download the Machinery Directive - 2006/42/EC