COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
COM(91)547 final - SYN 381 
Brussels, .9 January 1992 
Proposal for a 
COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 
AMENDING DIRECTIVE 89/392/EEC 
ON THE APPROXIMATION OF THE LAWS OF 
THE MEMBER STATES RELATING TO MACHINERY 
(presented by the Commission) 
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EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 
1 . GENERAL 
This proposal for a Directive consists of an amendment 
to Council Directive 89/392/EEC of 14 June 1989,1 as 
already amended by Council Directive 91/368/EEC,2 on 
the approximation of the laws of the Member States on 
machinery, in order to include machinery for lifting 
persons involving specific risks for those persons 
within the scope of the Directive. 
Machinery of this kind had been excluded from the scope 
of the two aforesaid Directives because the specific 
risks involved were not included in their essential 
health and safety requirements. 
Machinery used to transfer persons from one specific 
level to another specific level, machinery used to 
transport an operator to his workstation, and machinery 
whereby the principal function is not to lift persons, 
but rather the operator \*s lifted In order to control 
machine operations, are the devices concerned. 
1 OJ No L 183, 29.6.1989, p. 9. 
2 OJ No L 198, 22.7.1991, p. 16 
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Although not a large sector, it none the less comprises 
highly diverse types of machinery involving the same 
type of risk. This proposal has been drawn up In 
accordance with the Council Resolution of 7 May 1985 on 
a new approach to technical harmonization and 
standard IzatIon.3 
The alms of this proposal are the same as those of 
Directive 89/392/EEC, namely, to establish Community 
law on the prevention of accidents at work and to 
eliminate barriers to trade resulting from the 
disparity of the laws of the Member States. 
Following this amendment Directive 89/392/EEC will 
contain a complete set of essential requirements 
allowing a high level of protection to be attained. 
2. ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL IMPACT 
The economic importance of the sector concerned Is 
fairly minor in terms of the total value of machinery 
covered by Directive 89/392/EEC and it is also 
difficult to evaluate since specific machinery Is not 
always involved but often the secondary function of a 
machine. In contrast, the number and gravity of 
accidents have a quite significant social impact. 
OJ No C 136, 4.6.1985, p. 1 
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There are no centralized Community statistics on the 
number of accidents caused by the use of the machinery 
covered by this proposal for a Directive, but what 
figures there are available at national level show that 
the number is high in relation to the number of workers 
employed. 
Before starting to prepare its proposal, the Commission 
ran a study on national regulations covering this 
sector. The results of this study confirmed that major 
differences exist between the Member States, in 
particular in the administrative procedures concerning 
examination, testing, marketing authorization and use. 
3. CONSULTATION OF THE PARTIES CONCERNED 
The Commission was anxious from the outset to involve 
all the parties concerned in its work: government 
experts, representatives of trade unions and industrial 
federations, in particular the European Mechanical 
Handling Confederation (FEM), the European Symposium of 
Independent Inspecting Organizations (CEOC) and the 
representatives of standardization bodies (CEN, 
CENELEC). The Commission also consulted the Mines 
Safety and Health Commission and the ad hoc working 
party on machinery of the Advisory Committee on Safety, 
Hygiene and Health Protection at Work. These two bodies 
welcomed the proposal. 
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4. PROPOSAL FOR A DIRECTIVE 
4.1 Purpose 
The purpose of this amendment to Directive 
89/392/EEC Is simply to correct an omission in 
that D i rect i ve. 
4.2 Essential health and safety requirements 
As stated above, the essential requirements 
contained in Annex I to this proposal for a 
Directive supplement Annex 1 to 
Directive 89/392/EEC and its amendments. The 
same principles have been followed. 
The main concern of this addition is to cover the 
risks run by persons lifted by machinery, 
essentially the risks of falling out of the 
machine or falling from the lifting component of 
the mach i ne i tse I f. 
4.3 Machinery subject to EC type-examination 
Considering the scope of Directive 89/392/EEC, 
very few machines are covered by Annex IV, I.e. 
are subject to EC type-examination. This 
proposal for a Directive, however, subjects all 
machinery from which there is a risk of falling 
from a height of more than five m to that 
procedure. 
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4.4 Date of entry Into force 
In view of the time span between the dates of 
adoption of Directive 89/392/EEC, Its first 
amendment and this proposal, the dates for 
incorporation Into national law and entry into 
force of the latter have been put back a year. 
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PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL DIRECTIVE AMENDING DIRECTIVE 
89/392/EEC ON THE APPROXIMATION OF THE LAWS OF THE MEMBER 
STATES ON MACHINERY 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community, and In particular Article 100a thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
In cooperation with the European Parliament, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social 
Comm11 tee, 
Whereas the fact of lifting persons entails specific risks 
for the persons lifted; whereas these risks are not covered 
either by the essential health and safety requirements laid 
down by Directive 89/392/EEC1 or by Directive 91/368/EEC 
amending that Directive;2 
Whereas for this type of machinery there Is no reason to 
provide for different modules of the conformity assessment 
procedure from those Initially provided for In 
Directive 89/392/EEC for machinery; 
1 OJ L 183, 29.6.1989, p. 9. 
2 OJ L 198, 22.7.1991, p. 16. 
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Whereas additional essential health and safety requirements 
to cover the risks run by lifted persons can be laid down by 
means of an amendment to Directive 89/392/EEC; whereas this 
amendment can be used to advantage to correct certain 
imperfections In the said Directive; 
Whereas the time span between adoption of Directive 
89/392/EEC and adoption of this Directive requires the date 
of entry into force to be put back, 
HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: 
Art Icle 1 
Directive 89/392/EEC, as last amended by Directive 
91/368/EEC, is hereby amended as follows: 
1. Article 1 is amended as follows: 
(a) The following paragraph is added to paragraph 2: 
"'machinery' also means the following equipment 
where It is marketed separately with the aim of 
being assembled into a machine by the operator 
h ImseIf: 
rollover protective structures, as referred to 
in point 3.4.3 of Annex I; 
falling-object protective structures, as 
referred to in point 3.4.4 of Annex I; 
lifting accessories, as referred to in point 
4.1.1 (a) of Annex I ; 
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removeable guards for universal joint 
transmission shafts, as referred to In 
point 3.4.7 of Annex I; 
(b) The second indent of paragraph 3 is deleted. 
Article 4(1) Is replaced by the following: 
"Member States shall not prohibit, restrict or impede, 
for reasons connected with the essential health and 
safety requirements referred to in Article 3, the 
placing on the market and putting into service In their 
territory of machinery which complies with the 
provisions of this Directive." 
Annex I is hereby amended as follows: 
(a) The final paragraph in point 1.2.4 concerning the 
emergency stop is replaced by the following text: 
"Once active operation of the emergency stop 
control has ceased following a stop command, this 
command must be sustained by engagement of the 
emergency stop device until that engagement Is 
specifically overridden. It must not be possible 
to disengage the device without simultaneously 
triggering a stop command; it must be possible to 
disengage the device only by an appropriate 
operation, and disengaging the device must not 
restart the machinery but only permit 
restartIng. " 
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(b) The following point 1.5.14 Is added: 
1.5.14 Risk of being trapped in a machine. 
Machinery must be fitted with means of 
preventing the operator from being 
trapped. 
(c) Point 1.7.4(b) is replaced by the following: 
"The Instructions must be drawn up by the 
manufacturer or his authorized representative 
established in the Community in one of the 
Community languages. The user must receive a 
translation of these Instructions in the language 
of the country in which the machinery is to be 
used accompanied by the instructions In the 
original language. This translation must be made 
either by the manufacturer or his authorized 
representative established in the Community, or 
by the person Introducing the machinery Into the 
language area in question. By way of derogation 
from this requirement, the maintenance 
instructions for use by specialized personnel 
employed by the manufacturer or his authorized 
representative in the Community may be drawn up 
in only one of the official Community languages." 
(d) The following paragraph is added to point 4.2.3: 
"For machinery serving specific levels at which 
operators can gain access to the load platform in 
order to stack or secure the load there must be 
mechanical locking means for the load platform at 
the loading and unloading levels." 
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(e) The following paragraph is added to point 5.6 
"The load-bearing components of headgear or of 
pithead machinery must be made of 
low-fIammabI I Ity materials." 
(f) The points 6 to 6.6 set out in Annex I to this 
Directive are added. 
The first footnote to Annex II is amended as follows: 
"This declaration must be drawn up In the same language 
as the original Instructions (see point 1.7.4 (b) of 
Annex I), either typewritten or handwritten in block 
capitals. It must be accompanied by a translation in 
one of the languages of the country in which the 
machinery Is to be used. This translation must be made 
In accordance with the same conditions as for the 
translation of the Instructions." 
Points 16 and 17 of Annex II to this Directive are 
added to Annex IV. 
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Art icle 2 
1. Member States shall adopt and publish the laws, 
regulations and administrative provisions necessary in 
order to comply with this Directive by 1 July 1993 at 
the latest. They shall forthwith Inform the Commission 
thereof. 
When the Member States adopt these provisions, they 
shall contain a reference to this Directive or be 
accompanied by such a reference when officially 
published. The Member States shall decide what form 
such reference shall take. 
The Member States shall apply these provisions with 
effect from 1 July 1994. 
2. However, until 31 December 1995 Member States may allow 
the placing on the market and putting Into service of 
machinery which conforms with the national provisions 
in force In their territories as at the date of 
adoption of this directive. 
3. Member States shall communicate to the Commission the 
text of the provisions of national law which they adopt 
in the field covered by this Directive. 
ArtIcle 3 
This Directive Is addressed to the Member States 
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ANNEX I 
6. Essential health and safety requirements to lessen the 
particular risks of lifting persons. 
In addition to the essential health and safety 
requirements given In the sections 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, 
machinery presenting hazards due to lifting persons 
must be designed and constructed to meet the 
requirements below. 
6.1 Genera I 
6.1.1. The car Is the place where persons assemble In 
order to be lifted, lowered or transported. 
6.1.2 The floor of the car must be designed and 
constructed to offer the space and strength 
corresponding to the maximum number of persons 
and the maximum permissible load set by the 
manufacturer. 
6.1.3 The requirements of 4.2.1.4 apply regardless of 
the maximum permissible load. 
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6 . 2 ControI cIrcu i t 
6.2.1 The lifting and lowering controls for machinery 
for lifting persons must be in the car. 
For machinery with non-guided car these controls 
must be of the maintained command type. 
6.2.2 If a machine for lifting persons can be moved 
with the car in the upper position the person or 
persons In the car must have the means of 
preventing risks produced by the movement of the 
machI ne. 
6.2.3 Machinery for lifting persons must be fitted with 
a device to detect excess down speed where the 
downward movement is greater than two metres. 
6.3 Risks to persons in the car 
6.3.1 Where there is a risk of falling from a height of 
more than two metres, cars must be surrounded by 
a guard rail of sufficient height and strength. 
6.3.2 Any trapdoors or side doors must not open 
outwards. 
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6.3.3 Lifting machinery must be designed and 
constructed to ensure that the floor of the car 
remains basically horizontal, including when 
movIng. 
The floor of the car must be non-slip. 
6.3.4 The cars of provisional work site lifts or lifts 
installed permanently In underground workings 
must be fully protected on all sides. 
6.4 Risks of falling from the car 
6.4.1 Machinery for lifting persons must be fitted with 
a device which Is independent of the lifting and 
lowering devices and of the control circuit and 
is designed automatically to prevent the free 
fall of the car as a result of the failure of a 
component or a cut in the power supply. This 
device must be able to stop the car at its rated 
load and at the maximum speed foreseen by the 
manufacturer, without causing deceleration 
harmful to the occupants. 
This device is not required on very high speed 
and/or very heavy- duty machinery, such as mine 
shaft lifts. In this case alternative measures 
must be taken, comprising at least: 
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an emergency braking device whose operating 
power is derived exclusively from energy 
stored by weights or springs; 
a device for detecting any tension variation 
in the cables supporting the car; 
or equally effective measures. 
6.4.2 Machinery for lifting persons must be designed 
and constructed so as not to be able to be set In 
motion unless the devices referred to in 6.4.1 
are switched on. 
6.5 Other r i sks 
Machinery for lifting persons must be fitted with 
means appropriate to the lift or Installation for 
releasing and evacuating people trapped in the 
car . 
6 .6 Mark i ng 
The information referred to in point 4.3.3 must 
be displayed In the car. 
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ANNEX I I 
The following points 16 and 17 are added to Annex IV to 
Directive 83/392/EEC. 
16. Machinery for lifting persons involving a risk of 
falling from a vertical height of greater than 
five metres. 
17. Safety components used in machinery for lifting persons 
as foI lows : 
- speed-IImItIng devices 
- fa I I-prevent Ion devices 
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FICHE FINANCIERE 
Volet 1 - IMPLICATIONS FINANCIERES 
1• Intitulé de I'act Ion 
Modification de la directive du Conseil 89/392/CEE pour 
introduire dans son champ d'application les machines 
qui lèvent des personnes. 
2. Lignes budgétaires concernées 
article B5-300 : actions relatives à l'achè­
vement du marché intérieur. 
3. Base JurIdI que 
3.1. Résolution du Conseil du 7 mai 1985 concernant 
une nouvelle approche en matière d'harmonisation 
technique et de normalisation. 
3.2. Directive du Conseil 89/392/CEE. 
3.3. Modification de la directive 89/392/CEE pour 
étendre le champ d'application aux machines 
mobiles et aux machines de levage de 
marchandises, adoptée par le Conseil le 20 juin 
1991 . 
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4. Description de l'action 
4.1 Les actions envisagées doivent contribuer à 
l'élaboration de normes harmonisées qui répondent aux 
exigences supplémentaires de santé et de sécurité, sans 
lesquelles l'application de cette modification de la 
directive sera délicate. 
4.2 Cette action ponctuelle s'étendra sur 3 ans environ. 
4.3 La population visée par l'action est, en gros, la 
population ouvrière de la Communauté. En effet, un jour 
ou l'autre dans sa vie professionnelle, un ouvrier aura 
à utiliser une de ces machines. 
5. Classification de la dépense 
Créd its d i ssoc i es. 
Dépense non obligatoire. 
6. Quelle est la nature de la dépense 
L'article 5 de la directive 89/382/CEE fait un renvoi 
général aux normes harmonisées : les machines 
fabriquées conformément à ces normes bénéficient d'une 
présomption de conformité aux exigences essentielles de 
santé et de sécurité concernées. 
La modification proposée de la directive 89/392/CEE 
introduit de nouvelles exigences essentielles et il est 
donc normal que la Commission contribue, comme par le 
passé, au renforcement de la normalisation européenne 
en confiant au CEN et/ou au CENELEC la tâche d'élaborer 
les normes harmonisées correspondantes. 
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Les travaux évoqués ci-dessus seront d'une durée 
limitée et seront Intégrés dans le cadre général de la 
gestion de la directive 89/392/CEE qui est une action 
de longue durée. 
7. Incidence financière sur les crédits d'intervention 
7.1. Mode de caI eu I 
Il s'agit d'un mandat d'exécution du contrat-
cadre du 10 octobre 1985 (renouvelé le 4 août 
1989) entre la Commission et le CEN/CENELEC. 
Le montant du financement des prestations de 
normalisation peut être calculé à partir de 
l'expérience des mandats déjà donnés au 
CEN/CENELEC. Le coût moyen d'une norme pour la 
Commission peut être évalué à 50.000 ECU. Le 
nombre de normes utiles à l'application de la 
modification de la directive peut être estimé 
Inférieur à 20 et donc la dépense globale serait 
inférieure à 1.000.000 ECU. Cette somme est à 
répartir sur 3 années : 1992, 1993, 1994 (et une 
somme résiduelle en 1995). 
7.2. Echéancier des crédits d'engagement (CE) et de 
paiement (CP) (art I cIe B5-300) 
CE (ECU) CP (ECU) 
1992 200.000 100.000 
1993 400.000 300.000 
1994 400.000 400.000 
1995 200.000 
TOTAL 1.000.000 1.000.000 
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8. Dispositions anti-fraudes prévues dans la proposition 
d'act Ion 
Celles-ci sont déjà contenues dans le contrat-cadre 
évoqué au point 6 ci-dessus. 
Volet 2 - DEPENSES ADMINISTRATIVES 
Néant . 
En effet, il ne s'agit que d'un léger additif à la directive 
89/392/CEE qui ne nécessite pas de besoin supplémentaire par 
rapport au personnel prévu pour la gestion de celle-ci. 
Volet 3 - ELEMENTS D'ANALYSE COUT-EFFICACITE 
1• Objectifs et cohérence avec la programmation financière 
1.1. Comme dit aux points 4 et 6 ci-dessus, Il s'agit 
d'encourager et de soutenir financièrement 
l'action du CEN/CENELEC dans la réalisation, dans 
des délais appropriés, des normes utiles à la 
mise en oeuvre de la directive. Il s'agit en fait 
d'un mandat complémentaire à ceux déjà donnés 
pour la directive 89/392/CEE et sa première 
mod IfI cat ion. 
1.2. L'action est incluse dans les crédits affectés 
par la DG III aux travaux de normalisation et 
d'harmonisation technique. 
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1.3. L'objectif général de l'action concerne 
l'achèvement du marché Intérieur et un complément 
d'harmonisation technique dans le domaine des 
machI nés. 
Justification de l'action 
Il n'y a pas d'alternative à l'action proposée une 
directive "nouvelle approche" doit s'appuyer sur des 
normes. 
Suivi et évaluation de l'action 
3.1. La performance du CEN/CENELEC sera suivie à 
l'aide de dates-cibles qui auront été fixées en 
accord avec la Commission pour chaque norme 
projetée. 
3.2. Le suivi des dates-cibles sera contrôlé une à 
deux fols par an dans le cadre du contrôle du 
contrat-cadre évoqué au point 6 ci-dessus. 
3.3. Les principaux facteurs d'Incertitude concernent 
les dates : date à laquelle le mandat pourra être 
signé et, par voie de conséquence, dates à 
laquelle les normes seront disponibles et dates 
de l'échéancier du point 7.2. En effet, le mandat 
spécifique à la modification de la directive 
89/392/CEE ne pourra être donné au CEN/CENELEC 
qu'après avoir atteint la position commune au 
Conseil et nous ne pouvons pas prévoir cette date 
avec cer tItude. 
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IMPACT ON COMPETITIVENESS AND EMPLOYMENT 
1 . Ma I n reason for the proposa I 
The scope of Directive 89/392/EEC is very broad and it 
would have been very difficult to subdivide It without 
overlaps and ambiguities. The Council and Parliament 
have therefore decided to keep exclusions to the strict 
mini mum. 
Machinery for lifting persons, which had been excluded 
from the first Commission proposal, is thus 
reintroduced Into the scope of Directive 89/392/EEC by 
this proposal for a Directive. 
The machines covered by this proposal for a Directive 
are essentially lifting cradles on vehicles, rack 
feeders, elevating and mobile work-stations in 
factories, building facade cleaning platforms and work 
site lifts (permanently Installed lifts in buildings 
are covered by Council Directive 84/529/EEC and 
amendments). 
This is thus a small sector compared with the full 
scope of Directive 89/392/EEC, but It is Important in 
view of the risks entailed and the accidents caused by 
machinery of this kind. 
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I I. IMPACT ON FIRMS 
1. What firms are involved? 
These are mainly medium-sized companies (neither small 
nor very big) which are highly specialized in their 
fields and supply high-quality products to a very 
competitive market. 
There are no particular concentrations of firms In 
regions eligible for regional aid from the 
Member States or the ERDF. ? 
2. What obligations are imposed on firms? 
As set out in point 1 above, the companies concerned 
are highly specialized and very much aware of the risks 
entailed with machinery of this kind. In general, they 
therefore already meet the essential health and safety 
requirements laid down by this proposal for a 
DIrectIve. 
All the machinery in question must be: 
either designed in accordance with the harmonized 
standards ; 
or subjected to EC type-examination. 
In the second case, I.e. where a manufacturer does not 
wish to comform to the harmonized standards, the cost 
of EC type-examination will have little effect on the 
final cost because of the large numbers produced, the 
percentage of the sales price being in the thousandths 
rather than in the hundredths. 
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3. What econmlc effects is the proposal likely to have? 
In view of the points put forward in 1 and 2, the 
proposal will have no effect on employment, investment 
or the establishment of new companies, nor on the 
competitiveness of existing firms. 
III. CONSULTATION 
The following bodies and organizations were consulted 
on the establishment of the proposal and welcomed both 
the proposal and its content: 
Mines Safety and Health Commission; 
Ad hoc working party on machinery of the Advisory 
Committee on Safety, Hygiene and Health Protection 
at Work; 
European Mechanical Handling Confederation (FEM); 
European Symposium of Independent Inspecting 
Organizations (CEOC); 
standardization bodies (CEN). 

'Ki 
ISSN 0254-1475 
COM(91) 547 final 
DOCUMENTS 
EN 06 
Catalogue number : CB-CO-92-009-EN-C 
ISBN 92-77-79747-9 
Office for Officiai l\iblica.tious» of the European Communities 
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