How does the 2001/14/EC differ from the Machinery Directive?
The Outdoor Directive overlaps with the Machinery Directive. However, they are different in that the Machinery Directive covers noise emissions at workplaces and focuses more on basic health and safety requirements, while noise emissions are associated with environmental protection. The requirements of the Outdoor Directive must be understood in addition to the requirements of the Machinery Directive. For the Machinery Directive, the noise level must be determined and specified for the user, for the noise emission legislation of equipment and machinery intended for outdoor use, the sound power level must be specified.
Why is it important that products comply with the Outdoor Directive 2001/14/EC?
This directive helps to keep noise measurements for the different types of machines under control. It is also important to reduce noise pollution from outdoor equipment. It also promotes the development, production and use of quiet machines, thus creating a less noisy living environment.
Which devices must bear the CE marking under the Outdoor Directive 2001/14/EC?
Articles 12 and 13 list 63 types of equipment intended for outdoor use. In addition, the Directive only covers equipment placed on the market as a whole unit suitable for intended use. Different types of equipment covered by this Directive (such as excavators) or not (such as agricultural tractors) may be used in conjunction with interchangeable equipment.
In accordance with Article 12, noise limits apply to the following equipment and machinery:
- Construction hoists for the transport of goods (powered by an internal combustion engine)
- Compactors (only vibrating and non-vibrating rollers, vibratory plates and vibratory rammers)
- Compressors (< 350 kW)
- Hand-held concrete crushers and pickaxes
- Construction winches (powered by internal combustion engine)
- Bulldozers (< 500 kW)
- Dump trucks (< 500 kW)
- Excavators, hydraulic or rope (< 500 kW)
- Excavator chargers (< 500 kW)
- Grader (< 500 kW)
- Hydraulic units
- Waste compactor, loader type with bucket (< 500 kW)
- lawnmowers (except agricultural and forestry equipment and multi-purpose equipment whose main motorized component has an installed power of more than 20 kW)
- Lawn trimmer/lawn edge trimmer
- Pallet trucks, powered by internal combustion engines, with counterweights
- Loader (< 500 kW)
- Mobile cranes
- Tillers (< 3 kW)
- Pavers (excluding pavers with high density aggregates)
- Generators (< 400 kW)
- Power cranes
- Welding generators
Article 13 also lists the equipment and machinery subject to noise marking
- Aerial platforms with combustion engine
- Brushcutter
- Construction hoists for the transport of goods (with electric motor)
- Construction site band saw machines
- Construction site circular saw benches
- Chainsaws, portable
- Combined high pressure washers and suction vehicles
- Compactors (explosion rammers only)
- Concrete or mortar mixers
- Construction winches (with electric motor)
- Conveying and spraying machines for concrete and mortar
- Conveyor belts
- Cooling systems on vehicles
- Drill rigs
- Equipment for loading and unloading silos or tanks on trucks
- Glass recycling container
- Grass trimmer / grass edge cutter
- Hedge trimmers
- High-pressure dishwashers
- High pressure water jet devices
- Joint cutter
- Leaf blower
- Leaf collectors
- Forklift with internal combustion engine and counterbalance drive (only "other counterbalance trucks" within the meaning of Annex I, point 36, second indent with a maximum rated capacity of 10 tonnes)
- Mobile waste bins
- Paver (equipped with a high compaction carbon)
- Pile drivers
- Pipe layer
- Snowcats
- Generators (400 kW)
- Sweeping machines
- Refuse collection vehicles
- Road milling machines
- Verticutter
- Shredder/chopper
- Snow clearing machines with rotating tools (self-propelled, without attachments)
- Suction Trucks
- Trench cutters
- Truck mixers
- Water pump units (not for use under water)
Which products are NOT covered by the Outdoor Directive 2001/14/EC?
The following products are excluded from the scope of this Directive:
- All equipment and machinery intended primarily for the carriage of goods or persons by road, rail, air or waterway; equipment and machinery mounted on trucks in accordance with Article 12 or 13 shall be covered by this Directive as regards the operational function and not the transport aspect.
- Equipment specially designed and built for military and police purposes as well as for emergency services. Emergency services include fire brigades, civil protection and ambulances. Car breakdown assistance services shall not be considered as emergency services within the meaning of this Directive.
- Equipment specially designed and built for military and police purposes as well as for emergency services. Emergency services include fire brigades, civil protection and ambulances. Car breakdown assistance services shall not be considered as emergency services within the meaning of this Directive.
- Stationary machines not intended to be moved during their service life, such as compressors installed outside buildings or pumps installed outside a plant
- Equipment intended to be used indoors, including underground (equipment used temporarily underground may be covered by the Directive if it is intended to be used mainly elsewhere).
What requirements must manufacturers or. Do you comply with the Outdoor Directive 2001/14/EC so that you can label your product with the CE mark?
Article 4 states that before placing the device on the market, the manufacturer must ensure that
- the equipment and machinery meet the noise emission requirements in the environment of this Directive
- the conformity assessment procedures referred to in Article 14 have been completed
- the equipment carries the CE marking and the indication of the guaranteed sound power level and is accompanied by an EC declaration of conformity
When can a device be considered compliant with the Outdoor Directive 2001/14/EC?
Article 7 states that if a device bears the CE marking, the indication of the guaranteed sound power level and is accompanied by the EC declaration of conformity, it is assumed that the device complies with all the provisions of the Directive.
What is the conformity assessment procedure under the legislation for noise emissions from outdoor equipment and machinery (Outdoor Directive 2001/14/EC)?
Article 14 categorises and lists the relevant conformity assessment procedures for products (equipment and machinery) subject to noise limit values (products in Article 12) and products subject only to noise labelling (products in Article 13)
Products for which noise limits apply
For each type of equipment placed on the market, the manufacturer shall choose one of the three conformity assessment procedures
Internal production control with evaluation of technical documentation and periodic inspection.
This procedure is specifically aimed at manufacturers who do not have a quality assurance system or do not want to implement the existing one with the provisions of this Directive.
Annex VI provides details of this procedure. The manufacturer must affix the CE marking of conformity and the indication of the guaranteed sound power level on each device and issue a written EC declaration of conformity.
In order to be able to place the devices and machines on the market, the manufacturer must:
- Prepare technical documentation (including test results and determination of the guaranteed value)
- Have it assessed by a notified body of its choice
- Issue the EC declaration of conformity and affix the CE marking and the LWA
- Have the notified body verify the manufacturing process using one of the following methods:
- The notified body shall carry out regular checks in order to ensure that the manufactured equipment complies with the technical documentation and requirements of this Directive
- The notified body shall carry out or have carried out product tests at irregular intervals
What is technical documentation under the Outdoor Directive 2001/14/EC and what must it contain?
The manufacturer or his representative shall prepare the technical documentation to be kept available for inspection by the competent national authorities for a period of at least 10 years after the last product has been manufactured. If another person is entrusted with the storage of the technical documentation, the manufacturer must indicate the name and address of that person in the EC declaration of conformity. The technical documentation:
- Be drawn up in one of the official languages of the Union
- Shall be available on the manufacturer’s premises without the need to physically compile the technical documentation
- Can be stored electronically, the manufacturer ensures that the documentation remains accessible during the prescribed time
- Can only be requested by the national authorities and must be submitted on reasoned request.
Where the manufacturer does not provide the technical documentation to the national authorities, non-compliance shall be presumed.
The technical documentation shall contain at least the following information:
- The name and address of the manufacturer or his authorised representative established in the Community
- A description of the device
- Brand
- Trading name
- Type, series and numbers
- The technical data relevant to the identification of the device and the assessment of its noise emission, including, where appropriate, schematic drawings and all descriptions and explanations required for understanding
- The reference to this Directive
- The technical report on noise measurements carried out in accordance with the provisions of this Directive
- The technical instruments used and the results of the assessment of the production-related uncertainties and their relation to the guaranteed sound power level.
How are devices or machines verified according to the Outdoor Directive for CE marking?
Annex VII describes the procedure for individual testing. This procedure is usually used for small series and used equipment that comes from outside the European Union and was not originally certified under this directive. Here the technical documentation is created either by the manufacturer or by the importer of the used device.
The application for individual testing shall be submitted by the manufacturer to a notified body selected by the manufacturer.
This request must include:
- the name and address of the manufacturer and, if the application is submitted by the authorised representative, also the manufacturer’s name and address
- Authorised representatives are submitted, in addition to their name and address
- A written declaration that the same application has not been submitted to any other notified body
- Technical documentation
The notified body shall:
- Check that the equipment has been manufactured in accordance with the technical documentation
- Agree with the applicant the place where the noise tests are to be carried out in accordance with this Directive
- Carry out or have carried out the necessary noise measurements in accordance with this Directive.
Where the equipment and machinery comply with this Directive, the notified body shall issue a certificate of conformity to the applicant in accordance with Annex X. If the notified body refuses to issue a certificate of conformity, it shall provide a detailed justification.
The manufacturer or his authorised representative established in the Community, together with the technical documentation, shall keep a copy of the certificate of conformity for a period of ten years after the device has been placed on the market.
How must the comprehensive quality assurance to demonstrate the conformity of products according to the Outdoor Directive 2001/14/EC be designed?
Annex VIII describes the comprehensive quality assurance procedure. The comprehensive quality assurance is aimed at the manufacturer who works with a quality assurance system. The notified body should only assess the quality assurance system required to demonstrate conformity of the products with this Directive. This process involves checking the quality system and not the product. In other words, once the quality assurance system is certified, a special audit (review of technical documentation) in accordance with the placing on the market of a new model is not required. During the audits, the notified body must verify the proper functioning of the system on the basis of existing or new products. If the results are satisfactory, the correct application of the procedure does not need to be verified for all product types.
Note: All conformity assessment procedures for the products listed in Article 12 require the participation of a notified body.
Products subject only to noise marking (products listed in Article 13)
For such devices and machines (which are not subject to the noise limit values), the internal production control is applied. This is set out in Annex V and does not involve notified bodies.
In order to place the devices on the market, the manufacturer must:
- Prepare technical documentation with test results and determination of the guarantee value (see Part 4 of these guidelines for determining the uncertainties)
- Issue the EC declaration of conformity and affix the CE marking and the guaranteed power level (LWA).
What is the EU declaration of conformity and what does it look like for a directive on noise emissions from equipment intended for outdoor use?
In order to certify that a device complies with the provisions of this Directive, the manufacturer shall issue an EC declaration of conformity for each type of device manufactured. The minimum content of this declaration of conformity is set out in Annex II.
The declaration of conformity shall be issued or translated into the official language of the Community. The manufacturer shall keep the EC declaration of conformity together with the technical documentation for ten years from the date of the last production of the device.
- The EC declaration of conformity shall contain the following information
- Name and address of the manufacturer or his authorised representative
- The name and address of the person holding the technical documentation
- Description of equipment
- The conformity assessment procedure applied and, where appropriate, the name and address of the notified body concerned
- Measured sound power level on a device representative of this type
- Guaranteed sound power level for these devices and machines
- A reference to this Directive
- The declaration that the equipment meets the requirements of this Directive
- Where applicable, the declaration of conformity(s) and the references of the other Community directives applied
- Place and date of issue of the declaration
- Details of the signatory authorised to sign the legally binding declaration for the manufacturer or its authorised representative established in the Community.
What is required for the CE marking?
The CE conformity marking must consist of the initials "CE" in the following form:
If the CE marking is reduced or enlarged depending on the size of the device, the proportions specified in the above drawing must be observed. The different components of the CE marking must have essentially the same vertical dimension, which must not be less than 5 mm.
The indication of the guaranteed sound power level must consist of the simple number of guaranteed sound power in dB, the sign LWA and a pictogram with the following structure:
If the display is reduced or enlarged depending on the size of the device, the proportions specified in the above drawing must be observed. However, the vertical dimension of the display should not be less than 40 mm if possible.
What harmonised standards often need to be taken into account, in particular when assessing conformity under the Noise Emissions Directive for outdoor equipment and machinery?
These harmonised standards are similar to the standards of the Machinery Directive.
EN 60745 series: Noise emission of portable motorized hand tools.
BS EN ISO 4871:2009, the declaration and verification of noise emission values of machines and equipment with more general application.
EN ISO 3741:2010- EN ISO 3747:2010 Acoustics - Determination of sound power levels and sound energy levels of noise sources from sound pressure measurements - Precision methods for reverberation rooms - (Engineering/measurement methods for use in hard-sounding environments.
