Page: 1 BUSINESS PLAN CEN/TC 142 WOODWORKING MACHINES SAFETY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Business environment largest in the world, covering more than 50% of the world market. CEN TC 142 activity deals with standardization of design and manufacture in the field of safety of machines and tools for the processing of wood and similar materials, destined for processing by the machines and tools, taking account of the European Machinery Directive, and of the purpose for which the machine is intended for use. By extension it also applies to facilities and equipment for conditioning of wood. Similar materials are wood materials (chip board, fibre board, plywood etc) cork, cane, shell, amber, ivory, horn and wood substitutes. Conditioning means e.g. drying, steaming, impregnation. CEN TC 142 activity on woodworking machines involves the following parties: - Woodworking machines manufacturers - Associations of Woodworking machines manufacturers - Regulators - Market surveillance authorities - Trade Unions Benefits Within the Scope of CEN TC 142, since 1997, 35 standards are published, taking into account user confidence in respect of safety and ergonomics. CEN TC 142 standards intend to address the relevant safety, health and environmental concerns and help to remove technical and trade barriers, opening the woodworking machinery market throughout Europe. Priorities Priorities of CEN TC 142 activity are to make woodworking machines European standards available related to: - Safety and health requirements - environmental aspects - amend and update the published standards within the scope of CEN/TC 142
Page: 2 1 BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT OF THE CEN/TC 1.1 Description of the Business Environment The following political, economic, technical, regulatory, legal, societal and/or international dynamics describe the business environment of the industry sector, products, materials, disciplines or practices related to the scope of this CEN/TC, and they may significantly influence how the relevant standards development processes are conducted and the content of the resulting standards: General largest in the world. This is despite the increasing number of established or start-up manufacturers in the Far East. European manufacturers lead the world in all aspects of machine design including productivity, safety and technical innovation. Political factors The implementation of the Machinery Directive has ensured that cross-border trade (within the European Community) is not hindered by National regulations. It has been instrumental in establishing a closer relationship between the Member States and those European Free Trade Association (EFTA) Countries which have chosen to participate in the standardisation work. Economic factors Adherence to the use of harmonised European standards, particularly for Annex 4 machines, has and will continue to result in substantial cost savings by eliminating the need for machines to be submitted to a third party for type testing. Social factors The essential safety requirements contained in the Machinery Directive have already resulted in demanding technical targets having to be met in order to claim compliance. Over time, the combined effect of these changes leads to a reduction of the total number of reportable accidents. This can be seen not only within Europe, but world-wide. Machines manufactured within the European Community are exported all over the world and previous experience has already shown that higher levels of machine safety are quickly accepted as the reference and non-compliant manufacturers are eventually forced to follow the level already set by their European counterparts. Technical factors The increasing use of Computer Numerical Control (CNC) within woodworking machines leads not only to increased output, both in terms of greater production and improved quality, but allows greater flexibility of operation without compromising operator safety. In fact, continuous updating of the published CEN/TC 142 standards is vitally important in order to reflect both the changes in technology as well as higher safety requirements. In addition, whilst tooling does not fall directly under the remit of the Machinery Directive, the tooling standards under CEN/TC 142 reflect the importance with which the critical nature of the tooling is viewed as part of the overall machining process. In fact the introduction of ever improving and technically sophisticated CNC equipment into woodworking machines force improvements to be made to the tooling available which again result in the updating of existing standards and the drafting of new ones. Legal factors Woodworking machinery manufacturers adhering to the requirements of the Machinery Directive through the use of a harmonised standard, can surely presume that their machine meets the requirements of the regulations implementing the Directive. Those manufacturers that do not 2
Page: 3 adhere to the requirements of the Machinery Directive ultimately suffer both from being able to obtain, at best, a reduced market share and at worst being taken to court by the relevant Safety Authorities. Insurance Companies also play a significant part in policing regulations, since when a machine does not comply with the essential safety requirements of the Directive, financial compensation will not be made without costly and protracted legal action taking place. 1.2 Quantitative Indicators of the Business Environment The following list of quantitative indicators describes the business environment in order to provide adequate information to support actions of CEN /TC 142: largest in the world. This is despite the increasing number of established or start-up manufacturers now existing in the far east. European manufacturers lead the world in all aspects of machine design including productivity, safety and technical innovation. The total worldwide production of woodworking machines is worth approximately 11 000 million and the exports of the six biggest producers of woodworking machines (Germany, Italy, Taiwan, Austria, United States and China) is around 70% of the total world trade. The monetary value of exports from these five countries in 2011 was: Germany 1904 million; Italy 1172 million; China 682 million; Taiwan 475 million; Austria 350 million; USA 267 million. The estimated number of companies (European-wide) operating in the woodworking machinery industry sector or producing the products/materials over the past three years is approximately 1000. The estimated number of people employed European-wide in the industry sector over the last 3 years is approximately 27 000. [Source: processing by Acimall studies office of data from INTRACEN, International Trade Centre of UNO] 2 BENEFITS EXPECTED FROM THE WORK OF THE CEN/TC The Standards developed by CEN/TC 142 respond to recent changes and major innovations in the use of electronic components installed in safety related control systems. This reflects the state of the art for most of woodworking machines and leads to cost savings by allowing quicker machine adjustment and an increase in effectiveness. All CEN/TC 142 standards respond to or address the relevant safety, health and/or environmental concerns and help to remove technical and trade barriers and open the woodworking machinery market throughout Europe.
Page: 4 Within the Scope of CEN TC 142, since 1997, 35 standards are published, taking into account user confidence in respect of safety and ergonomics. 32 machinery standards have been harmonized under Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, while 3 standards are on tools that are not under the scope of such Directive. 3 PARTICIPATION IN THE CEN/TC All the CEN national members are entitled to nominate delegates to CEN Technical Committees and experts to Working Groups, ensuring a balance of all interested parties. Participation as observers of recognized European or international organizations is also possible under certain conditions. To participate in the activities of this CEN/TC, please contact the national standards organization in your country. 4 OBJECTIVES OF THE CEN/TC AND STRATEGIES FOR THEIR ACHIEVEMENT 4.1 Defined objectives of the CEN/TC The objectives of CEN/TC 142 are: a) to elaborate standards covering the safety requirements of woodworking machines, tools and dust extraction equipment in an efficient, time and cost effective manner; b) to review and adjust the work programme as necessary in order to ensure that prevailing and long term market needs are met; c) to ensure, through a regular programme of review, that the standards already published and available for use are kept up to date and accurately reflect the state of the art at the time of the review; d) to take into account political, economic, technical, regulatory, legal, societal and/or international dynamics as elements insisting on the woodworking machines industry sector that may significantly influence on how the relevant standards development processes are carried out and on the content of the resulting standards. Transfer of EN woodworking machines requirements to ISO level. e) to provide European standards to enable the implementation of the Ecodesign Directive 2009/125/EC and its implementing measures, responding to Mandate M/495. In this frame, the ongoing work by ISO TC 39 WG 12 Environmental evaluation of machine tools should be carefully taken into consideration, in order to remove the technical barriers in the global market and to align environmental requirements worldwide,meeting the most recent technological innovations. Therefore, harmonization between international standards and technical Regulations is actually a valuable contribution to enhance free trade of machines used in woodworking machines industry. 4.2 Identified strategies to achieve the CEN/TCs defined objectives In order to achieve the defined objectives of CEN TC 142, the following strategies have been applied: - organize CEN TC 142 structure in order to draft safety related standards covering woodworking machines and tools. In particular, in order to enable this TC/WG structure to work as efficiently as possible, CEN/TC 142 has given its delegated responsibility for the drafting of standards to each of the WG s. This allows the WG s to be responsible not only for the technical content of a draft, but for declaring that the standard can proceed to the next stage of the process e.g. Technical enquiry or Formal vote, once the WG Convenor is agreeable, for the draft to pass onto the next stage of the process without any additional consultation or circulation of documents. - start international standardization activity, by re-activating ISO TC 39 SC 4 Woodworking machines focusing on the safety aspect and as a consequence planning the transfer of some EN standards, also applying Vienna Agreement. 4
Page: 5 4.3 Environmental aspects The Ecodesign Directive (2009/125/EC) is an integral part of European product policy addressing the important issue of sustainable environmental and economic development targeting climate changes and resources depletion. In 2009 the Directive, which was initially focused on Energyusing-Products (EuP), such as TVs, ovens or heating equipment, has been extended to Energyrelated-Product (ErP) such as windows, taps and insulation materials. Among the product groups involved, preparatory studies have been launched by the European Commission on machine tools, ended last November 2011. These preparatory studies support the standardization need addressed to CEN TC 142 in Mandate M/495, issued by EC last 27th of July 2011. As far as CEN TC 142 is concerned, the potential need for standards supporting regulation is identified in the field of power consumption, power modes and power management as well as on consumption of, compressed air, and waste. However certain noise measurement standards exist which could provide a valid basis for environmental standards. At the moment no specific standardisation which could significantly influence the ecological performance is readily available in CEN TC 142 for the product scope of the study. However, the ongoing work by ISO/TC 39 on environmental evaluation of machine tools should be carefully taken into consideration. CEN TC 142 therefore intends to adopt the ongoing work undertaken on safety and environmental aspects within ISO TC 39 as European standards on woodworking machines. 5 FACTORS AFFECTING COMPLETION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CEN/TCWORK PROGRAMME Woodworking machines industry tend to focus on purchase price only and to overlook products with better performance and energy using behaviours that make possible money and energy savings over the life cycle. This myopic behaviour can be considered as a market failure. In this context, it is necessary to widen the awareness on the need to prepare standards suitable to answer to the safety requirements and to the requirement of the forthcoming Implementing Measures on Ecodesign criteria for machine tools. Another affecting factor deals with the increasing pressure on the international market of new competitors, whose safety requirements are not always granting a minimum level. This situation frustrates those manufacturers who respect regulations and bear a higher production cost of machines and of auxiliary equipment. Finally, social aspects related to safety at workplaces have also to be considered, where very old machines are still placed, above all in small and medium enterprises, that may not totally fulfil safety regulations.