HSE announces changes to Earth Moving Machinery due to visibility requirements

The Health and Safety Executive has released a new directive pertaining to Earth Moving Machinery and ISO5006, which is the ISO for visibility of plant. Tier 4 machines are no longer meeting ISO5006.

Action is required, with the full directive text available to read on the HSE website. Here's is the Action Required section for your convenience:

"Manufacturers and importers of Earth Moving Machinery within the scope of EN 474-1 should review the conformity assessment of their product ranges in respect of visibility from the operator’s position to ensure continued compliance. Where necessary they should then implement improvements to affected products. The review of the conformity assessment can be undertaken directly with the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, in particular EHSRs 3.2.1. Operator’s Position, 1.1.2 (b) Principles of Safety Integration, and 1.7.4.2 (l) Contents of Instructions, and fully consider the state of the art. Manufacturers may wish to work towards the recommendations proposed in the amended standards, as they are developed, as part of their conformity assessment.

The review should take into account:

- The existing requirements of ISO 5006:2006
- The recommendations of the proposed amendments as they are developed
- The current state of the art
- The provision of information on residual risk. A visibility map is considered a suitable approach. (see Appendix 1) "

We must thank Craig Spillard of Spillard Safety Systems Ltd. for highlighting this new directive to us.