A fixed guard is a physical barrier, fastened in place with no moving parts of its own, that keeps people away from a machine’s hazardous parts.
It has to be removable only with tools, and any openings must respect the reach distances in EN ISO 13857. Where nobody needs routine access, a fixed guard is usually the simplest and most dependable option.
Reasonably foreseeable misuse is use of a machine its maker never intended but should have predicted, like bypassing a guard to clear a blockage.
Due diligence is the process an end user follows to satisfy themselves that machinery is genuinely CE/UKCA compliant, starting with checking the Declaration of Conformity.
Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 replaces the Machinery Directive on 20 January 2027 and adds requirements on software, AI safety functions and cybersecurity.
For nearly two decades, the Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC) has been the backbone of machinery safety compliance across Europe.
Introduction Machinery is now software-defined, connected, and increasingly autonomous. The Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 treats software failures as
A question we hear regularly from clients is which assessment do they actually need for their machinery —
Speak to a Knox Thomas engineer about compliance, risk assessment and safeguarding for your machinery.
