Business sectors

CEN/TC 114 ‘Safety of machinery’ develops standards and other documents on general principles for the safety of machinery, including terminology and methodology. Close to 100% of the standards published by CEN/TC 114 on the safety of machinery are developed in cooperation with ISO/TC 199, and most of them support the Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC).

In 2024, CEN/TC 114 will start the revision of EN ISO 12100 ‘Safety of machinery - General principles for design - Risk assessment and risk reduction (ISO 12100:2010)’. This standard is a basic standardization document on machinery safety which explains to manufacturers how to translate the requirements in the Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC) into a hazard-based approach. The main aim of the revision is to review some definitions, align the content to the Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 and introduce the links to the most recent horizontal documents of CEN/TC 114.

The ‘Industrial Machinery’ subsector comprises about forty CEN and CENELEC technical bodies, dealing with a wide range of machinery used by the industry (such as paper, textile, food, oil and gas, amusement….). Many of the documents are harmonized standards in support of the Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC). In 2024, the technical bodies will focus on the alignment of these standards to the new Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230.

CEN/TC 10 'Lifts, escalators and moving walks' and ISO/TC 178 will continue an important joint project under the Vienna Agreement and CEN lead to revise ISO 8100-1 and ISO 8100-2, which are identical adoption of the key standards for lifts, EN 81-20 and EN 81-50. The project will result in new global standards for the safety of lift: EN ISO 8100-1 ‘Lifts for the transport of persons and goods - Part 1: Safety rules for the construction and installation of passenger and goods passenger lift’ and EN ISO 8100-2 ‘Lifts for the transport of persons and goods — Part 2: Design rules, calculations, examinations and tests of lift components’, expected to be harmonized with the Lifts Directive (2014/33/EU).

CEN/TC 10 will also working on the following brand-new standards:

• EN 81-42 ‘Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts - Special lifts for the transport of persons and goods - Part 42: Vertical lifting appliance with enclosed carrier intended for use by persons, including persons with disability’;
  
  
• EN 81-44 'Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts - Special lifts for the transport of persons and goods - Part 44: Lifting appliances in wind turbines’, whose aim is to allow a safe installation of a lifting appliance in a wind turbine and a safe access workplace on wind turbines;
  
  
• EN 81-76 ‘Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts - Particular applications for passenger and goods passenger lifts - Part 76: Evacuation of persons with disabilities using lifts’. This standard will specify the requirements for new passenger and goods passenger lifts: it may be used for the assisted evacuation of people with impaired mobility.

CEN/TC 142 ‘Woodworking machines – Safety’, together with ISO, will start developing three brand new parts of the EN ISO 19085 series in support of the Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230, to the benefit of both the users of the machines and their designers:

• EN ISO 19085-20 ‘Woodworking machines — Safety — Part 20: Horizontal cutting cross-cut sawing machines with one saw unit (radial arm saws)’;
• EN ISO 19085-21 ‘Woodworking machines — Safety — Part 21: Double blade circular sawing machines for cross-cutting with integrated feed’;
• EN ISO 19085-22 ‘Woodworking machines — Safety — Part 22: Single blade automatic and semi-automatic up-cutting cross-cut sawing machines’.

In 2024, CEN/TC 146 ‘Packaging machines – Safety’ will finalize a series of revisions within the EN 415 series in support of the Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC) in order to increase the safety of the users of packaging machines:

• EN 415-2 ‘Safety of packaging machines - Part 2: Packaging machines for pre-formed rigid containers’;
  
  
• EN 415-4 ‘Safety of packaging machines - Part 4: Palletizers and depalletizers and associated equipment’;
  
  
• EN 415-7 ‘Safety of packaging machines - Part 7: Cartoning and case packing machines’;
  
  
• EN 415-8 ‘Safety of packaging machines - Part 8: Strapping machines’.

Furthermore, in 2024 CEN/TC 147 ‘Crane Safety’ will continue to develop European Standards for various crane types. Notably, three significant standards are expected to be published:

• A revision of EN 13852-1:2013 ‘Cranes - Offshore cranes - Part 1: General-purpose offshore cranes’, addressing general-purpose offshore cranes in support of the Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC) and ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU. This revision will align with the new systematics, incorporating risk analysis and structural considerations.
  
  
• A revision of EN 14439:2006+A2:2009 ‘Cranes - Safety - Tower cranes’ in support of the Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC). This revision encompasses various aspects, including updates to design requirements for load-bearing structures, integration of access provisions, the application of principles for safety-related parts of control systems and the considerations for mobile self-erecting tower cranes.
  
  
• A revision of EN 13557:2003+A2:2008 ‘Cranes - Control devices and control stations’ in support of the Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC), focusing on controls and control stations. This update aims to accommodate the latest technological advancements and industry best practices while ensuring alignment with other pertinent safety standards.
  These standards reflect CEN/TC 147's commitment to enhancing safety, efficiency, and the overall performance of cranes across different applications.

CEN/TC 150 'Industrial Trucks – Safety' will collaborate closely with ISO to develop globally relevant safety standards for industrial trucks which also address specific regional requirements. The aim is to achieve their citation as harmonized standards under the Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC) and the new Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230. Based on this, in 2024, CEN/TC 150 will undertake the following initiatives:

• A new edition of EN 1175 ‘Safety of industrial trucks – Electrical/electronic requirements’ will be finalized to update the normative references and improve readability. It is intended that, immediately afterwards, the subsequent project will be developed under the Vienna Agreement and in support of the Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230, thus providing international alignment on the electrical and electronic requirements for industrial trucks.
  
  
• It will develop EN 1459-4:2020/prA1 ‘Rough-terrain trucks - Safety requirements and verification - Part 4: Additional requirements for variable-reach trucks handling freely suspended loads’ in support of the Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC). This standard will address the handling of freely suspended loads, a common cause of tip-over of rough-terrain variable-reach trucks. The TC will also finalize two other parts of this series: prEN 1459-1 ‘Rough-terrain trucks - Safety requirements and verification - Part 1: Variable-reach trucks’ and EN 1459-5:2020/prA1 ‘Rough-terrain trucks - Safety requirements and verification - Part 5: Attachment interface’.
  
  
• It will work on EN ISO 24134 ‘Industrial trucks - Additional requirements for automated functions on trucks’ which will provides safety requirements for automated functions on manually controlled industrial trucks to improve the productivity of equipment users.

In 2024, the primary focus of CEN/TC 192 'Fire and Rescue Service Equipment' will revolve around the revision of key standards to align them with the current state of the art and with the Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230. These standards play a pivotal role in ensuring public safety. The standards earmarked for revision include:

• EN 1028-1 ‘Fire-fighting pumps - Fire-fighting centrifugal pumps with primer - Part 1: Classification - General and safety requirements’;
  
  
• EN 1028-2 ‘Fire-fighting pumps - Fire-fighting centrifugal pumps with primer - Part 2: Verification of general and safety requirements’;
  
  
• EN 14043 ‘High-rise aerial appliances for fire and rescue service use - Turntable ladders with combined movements - Safety and performance requirements and test methods’.

Another TC active in the sector, CEN/TC 271 ‘Surface Treatment Equipment – Safety’, in 2024 will focus on the finalization of EN 1953 ‘Application equipment for coating materials - Safety requirements’ and EN 12621 ‘Machinery for supply and circulation of liquid coating materials - Safety requirements’.

Moreover, in its 2024 work programme, CEN/TC 433 'Entertainment Technology - Machinery, equipment and installations' has outlined several key initiatives to enhance safety and quality within the entertainment industry:

• The development of additional standards within the EN 17206 series on ‘Entertainment technology - Machinery for stages and other production areas’. This includes work on ‘Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) for Stages and Other Production Areas’ addressing the growing demand for safety regulations in response to increased usage in the sector. These standards aim to establish a common safety level across the industry.
• A new standard for accessories focused on the ‘Design and Manufacture of Accessories for Lifting and Holding Loads Above Persons.’ This standard will contribute to ensuring the safety and reliability of accessories used in lifting and holding operations within the entertainment industry.

Finally, Working Group 4 ‘Codes of Practice’ will continue its efforts to develop a series of standards related to codes of practice for the entertainment industry to promote a common understanding and uphold a high level of practice quality throughout Europe.

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING - GENERAL

In 2024, CEN and CENELEC technical bodies working on the machinery sector will start working on the first harmonized standards in support of the Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230.

In 2024, CLC/TC 44X ‘Safety of machinery: electrotechnical aspects’ will work on a brand-new harmonized standard in support of the Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 to address the new requirements on protection against corruption.

In 2024, CEN/TC 211 will work together with ISO/TC 43/SC 1 to enhance standards related to sound power level determination and overall usability. Among them:

• The revision of EN ISO 3744 ‘Acoustics - Determination of sound power levels of noise sources using sound pressure - Engineering methods for an essentially free field over a reflecting plane (ISO/DIS 3744:2023)’. This is a crucial standard used by manufacturers and test laboratories to determine sound power level. The primary objective of this revision is to simplify the standard and enhance its user-friendliness.
  
  
• A new standard to improve the readability and applicability of EN ISO 3744. As part of this effort, the current annex addressing uncertainties in EN ISO 3744 will be shifted to EN ISO 5114-1 ‘Determination of uncertainties associated with sound emission measures - Part 1: Sound power levels determined from sound pressure measurements’.

LABORATORY, OPTICAL AND PRECISION EQUIPMENT (EXCL. GLASSES)

For 2024, CEN/TC 176 'Thermal Energy Meters' has outlined a comprehensive work programme on several key areas. These initiatives intend to bring about enhancements and amendments to the harmonized standards series, primarily EN 1434, in alignment with Directive 2014/32/EU on Measuring Instruments. The specific areas of emphasis include durability, sensitive measuring, influence of flow profiles, conductive pastes for pockets, fast response metering, and sustainability aspects. Additionally, the TC will focus on the revision of two technical reports:

• CEN/TR 13582 ‘Installation of thermal energy meters - Guidelines for the selection, installation and operation of thermal energy meters’;
• CEN/TR 16911 ‘Heat meters - Recommendations for circulation water in industrial and district heating systems and their operation’

In 2024, CEN/TC 318 'Hydrometry' expects to develop a new European Standard: 'Hydrometry - Measurement of precipitation intensity - Metrological requirements and test methods for non-catching type rain gauges'. This new standard aims to address the measurement of precipitation intensity using rain gauges that do not involve the catching of precipitation.

CEN/TC 332 'Laboratory Equipment' closely collaborates with its international counterpart ISO/TC 48 to adopt European Standards (ENs) for laboratory equipment. These ENs closely align in structure and content with ISO standards, making the transformation between the two systems both reasonable and promising. Furthermore, in 2024, CEN/TC 332 will work on the following standards:

• EN 17242 'Recirculatory Filtration Fume Cupboards';
  
  
• EN 16589-2 'Laboratory Local Exhaust Devices - Part 2: Commissioning and On-Site Testing of Articulated Extraction Arms';
  
  
• Revision of EN 12469 'Biotechnology - Performance Criteria for Microbiological Safety Cabinets'. The aim of this revision is to create a standard series that incorporates the latest developments and aligns with the current state of the art in biotechnology.

AGRICULTURE MACHINERY AND MOTOR-OPERATED ELECTRIC TOOLS

The work of CEN/TC 144 'Tractors and machinery for agriculture and forestry' focuses on machine safety and operator protection, taking into account the protection of the environment and technological innovations. These documents play an important part in decreasing the risk of accidents for farmers and foresters and in reducing the use of pesticides. The intended main users for these standards are not only farmers, foresters, and manufacturers, but also public authorities in charge of prevention at work and inspection of machines, and research and testing organizations.

In 2024, CEN/TC 144 will continue developing standards on the automation of machines and tractors, as the dedicated market is growing rapidly. In this context, CEN/TC 144, in cooperation with ISO, plans to finalize the EN ISO series 18497 'Agricultural machinery and tractors - Safety of partially automated, semi-autonomous and autonomous machinery' in support of the Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC). The series, which consists of four parts, will establish the general design principles to cover the combination of the different functions of machines and tractors, the location of the operator and the types of interaction of these functions.

Another TC involved in this sector is CLC/TC 116 'Safety and Environmental Aspects of Motor-Operated Electric Tools'. In 2024, CLC/TC 116 will work on new European Standards aimed at enhancing safety and technological integration in the realm of motor-operated electric tools and machinery for lawn and garden.
In the pipeline are standards covering an array of hand-held and transportable tools, together with lawn and garden machinery. For instance, CLC/TC 116 will continue developing different parts of the EN IEC 62841-2-X, EN IEC 62841-3-X and EN IEC 62841-4-X series.

PRESSURE EQUIPMENT

Pressure equipment encompasses diverse devices, each characterized by unique complexities, materials, operating conditions, manufacturing processes, and control technologies. At the heart of safety regulations in the European Union, the Pressure Equipment Directive (Directive 2014/68/EU) governs pressure equipment in a broad spectrum of industries. A recent Standardization Request in support of Directive (EU) 2014/68 and Directive 2014/29/EU involves developing and revising a comprehensive set of European standards and standardization deliverables, totalling 234 standards for PED and 9 standards for SPVD; and introducing 18 new European standards covering PED aspect crucial for aligning with Union legislation and policies.

Moreover, with hydrogen playing an increasingly pivotal role in various industries, several technical committees within CEN are in the process of revising existing standards under the framework of the Pressure Equipment Directive (2014/68/EU) to cater to the emerging demand for hydrogen deployment technologies. Their scope also extends to meet the aviation sector's current needs, in line with Europe's 2050 climate objectives.

To this end, significant efforts are already underway in CEN/TC 54 ‘Unfired Pressure Vessels’ . This committee aims to specify the requirements for unfired pressure vessels and their components designed for hydrogen applications, in addition to the general requirements for unfired pressure vessels.

A significant achievement for CEN/TC 54 will be to finalize the EN 286 series, which addresses 'Simple unfired pressure vessels designed to contain air or nitrogen’, in support of the SPVD (2014/29/EU).

Similarly, CEN/TC 267 ‘Metallic Industrial Piping’ will define the requirements for materials, design, fabrication, inspection, and testing of industrial piping as defined in EN 13480-1:2017. It will cover individual spools or piping systems, including supports, designed in accordance with EN 13480-3:2017 and EN 13480-6:2017 (if applicable), and fabricated and installed following EN 13480-4:2017.

Furthermore, CEN/TC 121 ‘Welding and allied processes’, following the Vienna Agreement, will conclude work on several crucial standards:

• EN ISO 15613: 'Specification and Qualification of Welding Procedures for Metallic Materials - Qualification Based on Pre-Production Welding Test (ISO/DIS 15613:2022)';
  
  
• EN ISO 15611: ‘Specification and Qualification of Welding Procedures for Metallic Materials – Qualification Based on Previous Welding Experience (ISO/FDIS 15611:2023)';
  
  
• EN ISO 15614-11: 'Specification and Qualification of Welding Procedures for Metallic Materials - Welding Procedure Test - Part 11: Electron and Laser Beam Welding (ISO/DIS 15614-11:2022)'.

CEN/TC 121 will also initiate work on EN ISO 15614-14, which deals with 'Specification and Qualification of Welding Procedures for Metallic Materials - Welding Procedure Test - Part 14: Laser-Arc Hybrid Welding of Steels, Nickel, and Nickel Alloys.' These efforts are pivotal for ensuring the highest safety and performance standards in pressure equipment and welding in Europe.