Safety of machinery - Safety distances to prevent hazard zones being reached by upper and lower limbs

This document establishes values for safety distances in both industrial and non-industrial environments to prevent machinery hazard zones being reached. The safety distances are appropriate for protective structures. It also gives information about distances to impede free access by the lower limbs (see Annex B).

This document covers people of 14 years and older (the 5th percentile stature of 14-year-olds is approximately 1 400 mm). In addition, for upper limbs only, it provides information for children older than 3 years (5th percentile stature of 3-year-olds is approximately 900 mm) where reaching through openings needs to be addressed.

NOTE 1   It is not practical to specify safety distances for all persons. Therefore, the values presented are intended to cover the 95th percentile of the population.

Data for preventing lower limb access for children is not considered.

The distances apply when sufficient risk reduction can be achieved by distance alone. Because safety distances depend on size, some people of extreme dimensions will still be able to reach hazard zones even when the requirements of this document are met.

Compliance with the requirements in this document will prevent access to the hazard zone. Nevertheless the user of this document is advised that it does not provide the required risk reduction for every hazard (e.g. hazards related to machine emissions such as ionizing radiation, heat sources, noise, dust).

The clauses covering lower limbs apply on their own only when access by the upper limbs to the same hazard zone is not foreseeable according to the risk assessment.

The safety distances are intended to protect those persons trying to reach hazard zones under the conditions specified (see 4.1.1).

NOTE 2   This document is not intended to provide measures against reaching a hazard zone by climbing over (see ISO 14120:2015, 5.18).