Machinery Safety

Machinery safety means that a machine poses no unacceptable risk to the people who work on and with it throughout its entire life cycle – from design and commissioning through modification to decommissioning. Legally this is not a matter of discretion but an obligation: for manufacturers under the European Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC and, from 20 January 2027, the Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230; for operators in Austria under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (ASchG) and the Work Equipment Ordinance (AM-VO). 4S advises you on all of this independently of any product – in Vienna, Austria, Germany and across Europe, from the first risk assessment to CE marking.

What machinery safety covers

Safety is not created by a single component but by the interaction of design, protective devices, control technology, documentation and organisation. The foundation is the risk assessment according to EN ISO 12100: identify hazards, estimate risks and reduce them in the prescribed order – first through inherently safe design, then through technical protective measures, and only last through information for use. A machine is only safe in the legal sense once every step is documented in a traceable way.

The legal framework at a glance

  • Manufacturers: Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC and, from 20 January 2027, the Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 – conformity assessment, technical file, EU declaration of conformity and CE marking.
  • Operators in Austria: ASchG and AM-VO – hazard analysis, safe provision and inspection of work equipment, workplace evaluation.
  • Operators in Germany: Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health (BetrSichV) – risk assessment for work equipment.
  • Harmonised standards: EN ISO 12100 (risk assessment), EN ISO 13849-1 (functional safety, Performance Level), EN ISO 13857 and EN ISO 13855 (safety distances) and the applicable type-C standards.

Anyone who substantially modifies a machine may become its manufacturer – and then the manufacturer’s obligations apply to the operator as well. Whether this is the case is clarified by a modification assessment.

The path to a safe machine

For new machines and installations, machinery safety follows a fixed sequence. Each stage is a separate 4S service that can be commissioned individually or as a package:

  1. Risk assessment according to EN ISO 12100 – systematic identification and evaluation of all hazards across every phase of the machine’s life.
  2. Safety concept – definition of the technical protective measures and safety functions, including the safety requirements specification.
  3. Performance Level calculation according to EN ISO 13849-1 – proof that the safety-related parts of the control system achieve the required Performance Level.
  4. Technical documentation – operating instructions, technical file and review of the documentation of purchased components.
  5. Validation – testing on the real machine to confirm that the protective measures work as planned.
  6. CE conformity assessment – consolidation of all evidence, EU declaration of conformity and CE marking.
Machinery safety – risk matrix of severity of harm versus probability of occurrence according to EN ISO 12100

Existing machinery, modifications and operator obligations

Machines in operation must remain safe too. For existing machinery in Austria, 4S prepares the hazard analysis according to ASchG and supports the workplace evaluation; for operators in Germany, the risk assessment according to BetrSichV. For planned or completed changes, the modification assessment clarifies whether a hazard analysis is sufficient or a new conformity assessment procedure becomes necessary.

Service packages

For the most common tasks there are three coordinated packages: the full CE conformity assessment for new machinery, the CE assessment for machinery modification and safety engineering project support on an hourly basis. An overview of all individual services can be found under Services.

Building knowledge: workshops

Anyone who wants to anchor machinery safety permanently in their own company needs staff who understand risk assessment, functional safety and CE marking. The machinery safety workshops from 4S teach exactly that – as open dates or as in-house training with individually selected topics.

Machinery safety workshops – topic wheel with selectable training contents

Free tools

For everyday work, 4S provides two online calculators: the calculator for safety distances according to EN ISO 13857 (reaching over, through and around) and the calculator for minimum distances according to EN ISO 13855 (approach speed). The Machinery Regulation readiness check shows where your company stands in the transition to the new regulation.

Are you planning a new machine, want to keep operating an existing installation safely, or are you facing a modification? Contact 4S – I will support you with machinery safety from risk assessment to CE marking.