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EN ISO 14121-1 - PRINCIPLES FOR RISK ASSESSMENT FOR MACHINERY

EN ISO 14121: 2007 is the harmonized standard to be used to assess the risks for all machinery.

EN ISO 14121-1 replaced EN 1050 which has been withdrawn and should no longer be used. The new standard is integrated with the machinery safety standards EN ISO 12100-1 & 2 and meets the essential requirements for risk assessment laid down in the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC.

 

Definitions used in Risk Assessment
Refer to EN ISO 14121-1 for full and complete definitions

Harm Physical injury and/or damage to the health
Hazard Potential source of harm.
Hazardous Situation Circumstance in which a person is exposed to at least one hazard
Risk Combination of the probability of occurrence and the degree of severity of that harm P*S
Risk Analysis Combination of the specification of the limits of the machine, hazard identification and risk estimation
Risk Assessment Overall process comprising a risk analysis and risk evaluation
Risk Evaluation Judgement, on the basis of risk analysis, of whether the risk reductions objectives have been achieved

The standard describes a process risk assessment, which includes:

  • Hazard identification from the characteristics of the machinery and its environment.
  • Risk Estimation by combining the severity of the harm and the probability of it occuring.
  • Risk Evaluation to judge whether the risk reduction measures have been achieved.

The standard explains the considerations necessary under each of these headings. In particular, when considering:

The Probability of Occurrence one needs to consider:

  • The exposure of the persons to the hazard, including time spent in hazard zone and need for access
  • The occurrence of the hazardous event , including reliability, history of accidents, and comparisons
  • Possibility of avoiding or limiting harm including skill ,experience, rapidity of events, reaction times etc

In Annex A useful examples of hazards are listed and these should be taken into account in any risk estimation.

Risk Assessment is an iterative process which needs to be revisited when changes in design, specifications and manufacturing processes, changes in recommended use, changes in the packaging or the environment or changes in legislation, standards, or advances in technology are identified. The aim should always be to keep the risk as low as reasonably practicable and within acceptable limits.

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