EN ISO 13855: Positioning of safeguards with respect to to the approach of the human body

Last edit: 28/11/2024

The new edition of ISO 13855Safety of machinery – Positioning of safeguards with respect to the approach of the human body” was published in November 2024. The previous edition was from 2010.

This is a Type B technical standard concerning the positioning and sizing of safeguards based on the approach of the human body or its parts to the hazardous area that needs to be protected, in order to ensure timely detection of access to that area.

The types of safeguards considered by the standard include:

  • Electro-sensitive protective devices (Optical Barriers and Laser Scanners)
  • Pressure-sensitive protective devices (Mats and Sensitive Floors)
  • Two-hand control devices
  • Single-command devices
  • Interlocking devices without guard locking
  • Pressure-sensitive edges and bumpers

The objective of the standard is to assess the appropriate positioning of the mentioned safeguards, based on the safety distances related to the hazards associated with the machine under study.