Locate the danger zone
Establish the hazardous point, movement or area accurately before positioning the protective structure.
REACH PREVENTION + SAFETY DISTANCES
EN ISO 13857 machine guarding safety distances
A practical guide to the geometry behind perimeter guarding: guard height, openings, floor gaps and hazard setback must work as one boundary.
FROM STANDARD TO SCOPE
Four conversations before the design is frozen
Use EN ISO 13857:2019 to turn hazard position and foreseeable human reach into a buildable guard layout. The exact solution still depends on the machine risk assessment, applicable EU framework, current standards and any relevant C-type machinery standard.
Check every reach path
Consider reaching over, under, around and through the guard—not only the straight-line distance.
Coordinate opening and offset
Mesh aperture, access gaps, guard height and distance from the hazard are linked design variables.
Check the surroundings
Platforms, pallets, steps, machine frames and stored items can create footholds or alter the effective reach path.
WHY IT MATTERS
Substantial-looking guarding can still be too close
The strongest panel does not prevent contact if a person can reach the danger zone through, over or beneath it. Safety-distance work belongs before the perimeter is ordered.
EU STATUS + DESIGN CONTEXT
Use the standard inside the complete conformity strategy
Harmonised standards are generally voluntary. Where an exact reference is published in the Official Journal, it can support presumption of conformity only for the essential requirements it covers. It does not replace the complete risk assessment, technical file, conformity procedure or machine-specific requirements.
Directive period
The current consolidated citation decision supports Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. Check the precise reference, restrictions and transition dates.
Regulation transition
Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 applies generally from 20 January 2027. Do not assume a Directive-era citation automatically answers the future Regulation position.
C-type standards
A machine-specific C-type standard may provide more specific solutions or requirements for a particular machinery category.
Edition and Official Journal note
The current consolidated EU decision lists EN ISO 13857:2019 for the Machinery Directive. Verify current citation, restrictions and applicability before use. Check the current consolidated EU decision and Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 at the point of use.
COMMON QUESTIONS
EN ISO 13857:2019 FAQs
Can this page provide the standard’s distance tables?
No. This commercial guide intentionally does not reproduce controlled tables. Use an authorised current copy for project dimensions.
Does a taller guard always reduce the required setback?
Height and horizontal distance interact, but the correct result depends on the applicable table, hazard location, reach path and surrounding environment.
Is EN ISO 13857:2019 listed in the EU Official Journal?
It appears in the current consolidated machinery harmonised-standards decision for Directive 2006/42/EC. Confirm the live reference for the applicable project framework.
Turn the standards work into a buildable guard layout.
Send the machine layout, access requirements and target market. We’ll help shape a practical modular guarding concept for the project team to assess.
Start the guarding conversationCommercial information only. This page is not legal, engineering, conformity-assessment or certification advice and does not reproduce controlled standards content.
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