2 HSE's Agriculture and Wood Sector is represented on the European committees which make the "C" Standards for these machines.

3 The following "C" Standards each have a scope which specifies the exact types of machine covered. Enforcement officers should be aware that the scope of any one standard does not always cover all types of any one class of machine. Machines not covered in a particular scope and all safety matters not covered within a standard are covered by The Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 1992.
CURRENT STANDARDS

4 "BS EN 836:1997. Garden Equipment. Powered Lawnmowers - Safety." This standard covers powered rotary and cylinder lawnmowers including ride-on and pedestrian controlled mowers. Key safety points covered include guarding of cutting means, hot surfaces, operator presence controls, transport position of cutting means, and blade stopping times. For pedestrian controlled machines the control handle should automatically stop blade rotation when the operator's hands are removed. Restarting should require two separate actions. Ride-on machines should be fitted with a device to automatically stop blade rotation when the operator leaves the operating position. Inspectors should be aware that this latter device, which is a switch under the seat, has been known to be overridden by operators and this has led to accidents. It can be checked by simply asking the operator to sit on the machine, start the machine and cutting means in a stationary position and then stand up. The device should automatically stop blade rotation.

5 "BS EN 907: 1997. Agricultural and Forestry Machinery - Sprayers and Liquid Fertiliser Distributors." This standard is applicable to mounted, semi mounted, trailed and self propelled sprayers. It is not applicable to pedestrian controlled or knapsack sprayers. The key safety points covered are access to the sprayers tank for filling and induction bowls, provision of a clean water tank, protection against overfilling and when draining, maximum height of booms (4m) when folding to prevent contact with overhead power lines.

6 "BS EN 786: 1996. Garden Equipment - electrically powered walk-behind and hand-held lawn trimmers and lawn edge trimmers - safety." This standard applies to electrically powered but not petrol powered equipment. Key safety points covered are guarding to the cutting means, type of operators controls required and safety instructions for use.

7 "BS EN 774: 1996. Garden Equipment - Hand held integrally powered hedge trimmers - safety" This standard applies to hand held hedge trimmers which have their own power source and have linear reciprocating blades. It does not apply to hedge trimmers with an external source of power or those with rotating blades. The key safety points include different means of protection for operators hands from the blades, operators controls, hot parts and safety instructions for use.
STANDARDS NEARING COMPLETION (at time of LAC issue)

8 "BS prEN 13683:----. Garden Equipment - Integrally powered shredders/chippers - safety". This standard will apply to smaller commercial shredders and domestic garden shredders with feed openings which, in total, must fit into an area no more than 250 mm x 250 mm and which do not have a powered system of feeding. Key safety points will include the size and shape of openings allowed, safety distances from both the feed opening and the discharge chute to the cutting means, interlocking for the cover over the cutting parts to prevent its removal while blades are rotating, and instructions for safe use. Another standard for larger commercial shredders/chippers is also on preparation (BS pr EN 13525). In addition to the above safety points it will have a requirement for safety trip bars at the feed opening to prevent operators being pulled in.

9 "BS pr EN 13684:-----. Pedestrian Controlled lawn aerators and scarifiers" This standard only applies to aerators and scarifiers which have their own power source and which have tines which operate about a horizontal axis. Key safety points will include guarding of cutting blades, protection from ejected material, braking, controls requiring sustained manual pressure to operate and instructions for safe use.
ENFORCEMENT APPROACH

10 Enforcement officers who find shortcomings in manufacturer's designs which do not comply with these standards or with the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 1992 should forward the information to HSE's Agriculture and Wood Sector via their ELO. In the course of visits to premises where this equipment is used or imported, enforcement officers may wish to advise potential users of the development of these standards.