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White Paper explains changes in safe use of machinery guidance

04 March 2015

Procter Machine Guarding has published a free White Paper that explains the differences between BSI’s published document PD 5304:2014, Guidance on safe use of machinery, and the 2005 edition that is now superseded.

The White Paper was prepared by Jeremy Procter, a Member of standards committees ISO/TC 199/WG 6 (Safety distances and ergonomic aspects) and BSI MCE/3 (Safeguarding of machinery), and Managing Director of Procter Machine Guarding.

BSI has revised and updated PD 5304 to reflect recent changes in legislation and machinery safety standards. Although much of the published document remains substantially unchanged, there are numerous revisions in the new edition relating to risk assessments, guards, interlocking and control systems, and safety distances (reach distances). Procter’s White Paper provides a clause-by-clause analysis of the important changes but without becoming mired in the minutiae of the textual amendments.

Unlike harmonised standards that support machine builders in conforming with the Essential Health and Safety Requirements (EHSRs) of the Machinery Directive when designing new machinery for the European market, BSI’s PD 5304 has the status of a Published Document, so compliance with its recommendations does not confer a presumption of conformity with the EHSRs. PD 5304:2014, which has evolved from CP 3004 (1964) through BS 5304 (1975) and PD 5304 (2000 and 2005), is published by BSI as a means of presenting practical measures and techniques that can be adopted by users of existing machinery for compliance with PUWER (the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998), as well as people modifying, refurbishing, upgrading or changing the use of machinery. The comprehensive guidance contained in the almost 200 pages of PD 5304 is intended to help protect machine users, including operatives and maintenance personnel.

Copies of the new White Paper, PD 5304:2014: Changes in the 2014 edition of PD 5304, can be downloaded from www.machinesafety.co.uk.
 
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