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SAFETY IN THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT
  HARMONIZED STANDARDS

• They are technical Standards conceived to meet the essential requirements of the Directives
• They are written by the various technical committees on a mandate by the Commission of the European Union
• They are approved and adopted:
- by the CEN (European Committee for Standardization)
- or the CENELEC (European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization)
• Then they are translated and published in the Official Journal of the European Committee (GUCE) and the Official Gazette of each Member State.

Status of the Standards

• prEN... a proposed standard (draft) which has not yet been definitely approved
• EN... an approved standard already in force
• TS... a technical specification.


The European Standards concerning safety are subdivided into 3 groups:

TYPE A STANDARDS
They specify the general design principles applying to all types of machine:
e.g
• EN ISO 12100 - 1,2 safety of machines - basic concepts and general design principles
• EN ISO 14121 - 1 risk assessment.

TYPE B STANDARDS
They are divided into two classes:
- type B1 Standards: concerning a specific aspect of safety
e.g
• EN 999 positioning of protective equipment with respect to approach speeds of parts of the human body
• EN ISO 13857 safety distances for the protection of the upper limbs
• EN 60204 safety of machinery. Electrical equipment of machine
• EN ISO 13849 - 1,2 elements of safety related control systems.

- type B2 Standards: concerning safety devices
e.g
• EN 61496-1 electro-sensitive protective equipment - general requirements and tests
• EN 61496-2 electro-sensitive protective equipment- Particular requirements for equipment using active optoelectronic protective devices
(i.e. light curtains)
• EN 61496-3 electro sensitive protective equipment-Particular requirements for Active Optoelectronic Devices responsive to diffuse
reflection (i.e. laser scanner)
• EN ISO 13850 emergency stop devices.

TYPE C STANDARDS
They concern specific types of machine:
e.g
• EN 692 mechanical presses
• EN 693 hydraulic presses
• EN 415 packaging machines
• EN 415-4 palletising and de-palletising systems
• EN ISO 10218 industrial robots.

- A type C Standard takes priority over type A and B Standards.
- If no C type Standards exist, compliance with the Directive can be attained on the basis of type A and type B Standards.

What is IEC TS 62046 – Application and integration of electrosensitive protection devices
IEC TS 62046 Ed. 2 - 2008, specifies recommendations for the installation and use of Electro-sensitive Protective Equipment (ESPE).
It applies mainly to Light Curtains, Laser Scanners, Borders and pressure–sensitive mats. Its purpose is to meet machinery manufacturers’ and users’ needs.
IEC TS 62046 specifies the precise positioning of electrosensitive devices relative to the machine and their correct interfacing with the machine rather than their construction. Its goal is to ensure that the risk for the operator is minimized through a correct selection and application of protection devices.
IEC TS 62046 details crucial aspects linked to the use of ESPEs, such as selection criteria, use, integration with the machine control system and also provides information on special functions of safety light curtains including Muting and Blanking.