European standardization in the framework of the machinery directive: aims and strategies

The Machinery Directive 89/392/EEC contains the obligation to inform the user about the hand-arm vibration emission of hand-held and hand-guided tools and of steering wheals etc. at mobile equipment of the weighted acceleration value exceeds 2.6 m/s2. The measurements should be made under standardized working conditions (type testing) to obtain comparable results and to allow the user the selection of tools with the lowest vibration emission. The European Standardization Organization CEN is obliged to elaborate all necessary standards for type testing, which only unity realistic working conditions and exclude evaluation of health risks arising from the use of these tools. This approach is quite new and requires a great effort from the experts of the involved manufactures and the responsible occupational safety authorities. The presentation informs about the present stage of this work in the CEN Technical Committee 231 "Mechanical Vibration and Shock" which is responsible for the elaboration of the general measurement standards as a basis for the specific test codes from the machine groups oriented Technical Committees.