Machine safety measurement and fit

The sewing machine may seem harmless compared to heavy industrial machinery, but it is still covered by the same basic safety rules that apply to all machinery equipment sold and used in the EU. Behind the small CE mark on the machine's nameplate lies a whole set of rules designed to protect the person using it.

§The Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC establishes common EU requirements for safety and health for machinery marketed and used in the EU.

European Parliament and Council Directive 2006/42/EC on machinery—known as the Machinery Directive—sets common requirements for safety and health for machinery marketed in the EU. The purpose is twofold: to ensure a high level of protection for those who use the machines, and at the same time to ensure that machinery can be sold and used freely across the EU's internal market.

§What does CE marking mean for you in practice?

When an industrial sewing machine is CE-marked, it means the manufacturer has assessed the risks—for example, at the needle, the drive belt, and the moving parts—and has built in protection such as finger guards, safety guards, and the option for quick stop. As a user, you must not remove or bypass the protection the machine is equipped with, no matter how much faster it feels to work without it.

§The Labour Authority's role

In Denmark it is the Danish Fire and Safety Technical Institute (DBI) that sets the framework with Fire Technical Guidance 10 — in everyday speech BtV10. The guidance exists in several parts: a main guidance and a part on practical planning and execution. Insurance companies typically refer to BtV10 in their policy terms so if you do not follow the guidance the business risks liability if something goes wrong. BtV10 distributes responsibility before during and after work and is the basis for both courses contract templates and the practical measures on site.

• 01Use only the machine's built-in safety equipment — never remove or force out finger guards
• 02Report immediately if a guard is missing, damaged or malfunctions
• 03Be properly trained before using a new machine or special machine
• 04Remember that the responsibility for legal machines lies with the employer — but the use of safety equipment is your daily responsibility

§What do you do yourself?

As an employee you are not responsible for the machine being correctly CE marked from the factory — but you are responsible for using it as intended and for saying if something seems wrong or unsafe. Good workplace practice involves both: legal machinery and common sense in their daily use.

“The CE mark tells that the machine is built to be safe — not that it remains so if you bypass the protections.”