KANBrief 3/09
New standards governing industrial trucks (such as fork-lift and pallet trucks) are about to be published. What‘s special: since a consensus was not reached at international level, the basic standard and supplements are accompanied by two parts containing different arrangements applicable according to the region. The European part ensures that the provisions of the standard are not in contravention of the European directives.
Good things come to those who wait. Or better things, at least, as in the case of the new ISO 3691 series of international standards, “Industrial trucks – Safety requirements and verifi cation“. After years of discussion and several drafts, this series is to be published as a European standard in the first half of 2010 and listed in the Official Journal of the EU. In the process, it will replace the previous European standards governing this area (such as EN 1726, “Safety of industrial trucks“).
Global approach
ISO‘s intention of creating a uniform worldwide standard for industrial trucks has failed, owing to the irreconcilability of requirements from Europe, the USA, Japan and Australia. Requirements valid at regional level were therefore formulated as a solution. In order to enable it to be included in the European body of standards and in particular to be harmonized under the EC Machinery Directive, the series of standards is modular in nature in accordance with Route C as described in the CEN guidance on global relevance (Guidance on the implications of the ISO Global Relevance policy for CEN standardization (pdf)): a core EN ISO standard is supplemented by technical specifications which apply at regional level. This measure is to ensure that for Europe, all devices manufactured in accordance with the standard satisfy the requirements of the relevant EU directives.
The series of ISO standards consists of eight parts. Part 1 takes the form of a basic standard, and contains provisions governing the design of most types of industrial truck. Parts 2, 4, 5 and 6 apply to particular types of truck, such as pedestrian- propelled or driverless industrial trucks. Part 3 contains requirements supplementary to those of Part 1 particularly applicable to industrial trucks with elevating operator position.
In order for the series of standards to be published, the requirements on which the EU experts were unable to reach agreement with their counterparts in other countries were placed in two separate parts (7 and 8). At ISO, these two parts have the status of technical specifi cations rather than standards. Part 7 contains additional requirements for products which are to be placed on the market in EU Member States. It will be adopted by CEN as a European Standard. Further requirements for countries outside the EU are contained in Part 8, which will not be included in the European body of standards.
Where trucks are manufactured in accordance with Parts 1 and 7 in the future, i.e. following listing of the series of standards in the Official Journal, they may be presumed to satisfy the requirements of the EU Machinery Directive with regard to the points dealt with in the standards.
Improvements from the OSH perspective
In the view of the OSH lobby, the new series of standards constitutes an improvement over the requirements in force up to now. In the area of safeguarding against unintended or unanticipated movement of the truck and the lifting mechanism, in particular, the new standard reflects the state of the art better. For example, according to the standard the powered movement of industrial rider trucks must only be possible if the driver assumes the normal operating position. In the current standard, this is not a requirement for industrial trucks with internalcombustion engines, a fact which has repeatedly led to accidents.
More work needed
Despite the progress made, the new series of standards also exhibits deficiencies. These concern, for example, the dynamic stability, load control, visibility, and the means of access to the driving position. Work is however already underway on these topics, particularly in Europe: a dedicated standard will be formulated for testing of the dynamic stability. Improvements to the standard in the other areas stated could be made by amendments to the European Part 7. This progressive supplementation is to result in the standard supporting all relevant requirements of directives in the future.
Dr. Michael Thierbach
thierbach@kan.de