Our industry is in a constant state of change. Methods, policies and standards of the past may no longer serve their intended functions. Therefore the standard policies that regulate an industry need to be continuously revised and evolve to better fit the current state of business.
Carl-Johan Fogelberg, Director of Design Engineering at Marco
The upcoming EN 1570-1 standard is one such standard that highlights and addresses important concerns for both customer and supplier. “We receive a lot of questions about the new version of EN 1570-1 and want to break it down and explain, in broad terms, what it means for us and for you,” says our own Carl-Johan Fogelberg.
In fact, Carl-Johan is one of the active team members as part of TC98/WG2 responsible for creating the updated version of the standard, which has recently been approved by the member states of EU and is on its way for approval by CEN. “From this point onwards, make sure that your new lift table is compliant with the new directive,” Carl-Johan urges.
The Three Most Significant Changes
The updated version of EN 1570-1 is a huge step forward. The standard is completely restructured and easier to read and understand. The idea is to create safer jobs and better working conditions benefitting both workers and goods.
Additionally, with standardization efficiency typically follows. Moving from the current EN 1570-1 standard to the updated version presents many changes and clarifications but we want to highlight three as especially noteworthy.
1) Static Elevating Work Platforms
In the past it has been somewhat difficult to discern which directive regulated what. This has now been addressed and ‘Static Elevated Work Platforms’ are included in the new EN 1570-1 standard.
It is now a lot easier to understand when EN 1570-1 or EN 280 applies. “It will be better for the customers who get security and safety from the start, but also better for the manufacturer or supplier as they will be well-informed regarding which requirements to follow.” Carl-Johan adds.
2) Clear and Concise Schematics
The new standard follows a much more logical structure. Like the flow scheme that illustrates fall risk, squeeze risk or risk of falling goods. You simply follow the easy-to-read steps in Annex I of the standard, Yes/No choices and start by investigating the fall risk for anything over 0,5 meters.
“It is very important to have regulation and risk-assessment tools that are accessible and easy to understand,” Carl-Johan continues.
3) Publicly Accessible Areas
An area that up until now has had vague regulation regarding lift tables is the publicly accessible area. It is typically a high-risk area where many unforeseen events can take place. For example, children have a habit of crawling into seemingly impossible places and the more we can do to avoid such accidents, the better.
The list of new types of covered areas is long and includes a few notable additions such as skillet lines with moving floors and locations that make use of AGVs.
The Value of Deeply Understanding the Standard
“It has been a great advantage to be part of developing the new standard,” says Carl-Johan. “When designing and developing our latest platform, the Levitator, we could use our knowledge of the new directive and incorporate that into the product design. Future proof from day one, all for the customer,” he adds with passion.
In the past it has been difficult to know which regulations apply to which situations and discussions have often been required. With the updated standard it will be different. “As the CE marking is self-declared it’s absolutely necessary that the manufacturer has an in-depth understanding of the requirements and their implications,” Carl-Johan implores.
Final Note Approved – Change Starts Now
“We are incredibly proud to have come this far. And it has been a challenge and privilege to be part of the team who has created the new standard. The standard will be up for review at regular intervals as the industry changes and evolves further,” Carl-Johan says in summary.
We are building programs and webinars to further educate ourselves and our customers on the new standard, simply trying to spread knowledge and help the industry adapt to the latest requirements. If you have any concerns or questions regarding your company and the upcoming EN 1570-1, please reach out to our experts and they will provide the help you need.
