Agree the edition and method
Record the EN edition and positioning method selected by the responsible engineer. Check the European citation separately from the publication of a newer ISO edition.
EU MACHINERY PROJECT GUIDE
EN ISO 13855: safeguard positioning for EU machinery
For an EU project, safeguard positioning needs an agreed European reference and machine data that the whole project team can use. Connect the engineer’s positioning work with the surrounding guarding and access layout.
FROM ENGINEERING TO PROCUREMENT
Carry the positioning decision into the EU project layout
EN ISO 13855 addresses where safeguards are positioned in relation to human approach. Use this page to coordinate the project reference, engineering inputs and physical installation; the international guide explains the broader ISO 13855:2024 scope.
Obtain the machine inputs
Ask the controls team for the response and stopping information required by its positioning assessment. Flag missing data before fixing the guard line.
Coordinate the physical boundary
Show protective fields, access routes and adjacent guarding on the same plan. Review whether people could approach around the intended protective arrangement.
Protect the agreed position
Assign responsibility for installation measurements and functional checks. Changes to the machine, device position or response assumptions should trigger engineering review.
MAKE THE NEXT STEP PRACTICAL
Resolve the safeguard footprint before the perimeter is ordered
Send your engineer’s proposed safeguard locations and the space available around the machine. We can discuss the adjacent modular guarding and access arrangement around those constraints.
EU REFERENCE CHECK
Confirm the European basis for your project
Use the project’s applicable EN reference and the responsible machinery team’s assessment. The international ISO edition is a useful technical starting point; EU harmonised status depends on the published European reference and its conditions.
Check the exact reference
Use the Commission’s machinery standards page to find the relevant Official Journal decision and amendments. Record the edition, any restrictions and applicable dates in the project file.
Plan for the transition
Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 applies generally from 20 January 2027. Confirm the framework that applies to the machine and its timing with the responsible project team.
Read the scope together
Review the selected standard alongside the machine-specific requirements and any relevant European annexes. Agree how the guarding package contributes to the complete machinery assessment.
Official sources and international guidance
Check the European Commission’s machinery standards references and amendments for the European citation. For the technical subject, see our ISO 13855 safeguard positioning guide. Publication of an ISO edition and EU harmonised status are separate checks.
CONTINUE YOUR PROJECT
Technical detail and the next project decision
Keep the guard specification connected to both the engineering detail and the European machinery framework.
ISO 13855: the technical guide
Explore the international safeguard positioning guidance and the inputs behind the engineering decision.
Read the ISO 13855 guideEuropean standards and evidence
Understand how a published European reference supports a project’s conformity work and where its scope ends.
EU harmonised standards explainedModular guarding for the layout
Explore the steel guard system, then send your perimeter and access brief using the enquiry form on this page.
Explore the steel guard systemCOMMON QUESTIONS
EN ISO 13855: EU project questions
Is there one safe distance for every light curtain?
No. The position depends on the approach, system response, device characteristics, machine behaviour and the applicable standard method.
Can I use the newest ISO edition automatically for EU presumption of conformity?
Do not assume that. The newest international publication and the edition cited in the EU Official Journal may differ. Check the exact EN reference and applicable legal framework.
Can Machine Guards Direct set a light-curtain distance from a rough sketch?
A rough sketch can start the guarding conversation, but the protective-device position needs the responsible engineer’s applicable method and machine response data. We can discuss the adjacent guarding around that defined position.
Discuss your safeguard layout—and move the project forward
Include proposed protective-device positions, adjacent guard runs, access routes and the space available. Mark any locations that still depend on stopping measurements or engineering calculations. We can discuss a modular configuration and quotation for the agreed guarding supply.
Discuss your safeguard layoutCommercial information only. This page is not legal, engineering, conformity-assessment or certification advice and does not reproduce controlled standards content.
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Quote the guarding around your safeguard layout
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- Send drawings or a basic layout
- Get a recommended configuration
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