Normative acts for trucks and cranes usage regulation

Regulatory legal acts created for any activity at the international level, at first glance, may create certain inconveniences for following a specific system with the already existing convenience of adapting to the old one. Nevertheless, for any business planning to go global, the availability of international standards is a key parameter for a decent level of competitiveness. In the construction industry, cargo transportation and similar industries, large-sized equipment is used, the production of which takes place in completely different parts of our planet. In order to create a single, well-established functioning system not only in the assembly of this equipment, but also in its operation, it is necessary to adhere to the norms and recommendations specified in international standards, with the main of which we will further acquaint you.

Rough-terrain trucks - Safety requirements and verification - Part 5: Attachment interface

EN 1459-5:2020

Over the past two years, the issues of the safety of human life have become one of the most urgent. But these issues were mainly actualized in the field of medicine. If we talk about construction as well as areas where large-sized equipment is used, it should be remembered that even automated processes are controlled by human activity and this is why international safety requirements are created, regulated by such international standards as EN 1459-5: 2020.

This document specifies requirements for the truck side of the attachment interface of rough-terrain non-slewing and slewing variable reach trucks (hereafter referred to as "trucks") dealt with in EN 1459-1:2017+A1:2020, EN 1459-2:2015+A1:2018 and EN 1459-4:2020. This document covers the interface for the attachments fitted to the telescopic boom carriage or mounted on the forks when it is used as intended and under conditions of misuse which are reasonably foreseeable by the manufacturer. This document does not cover:

interface for interchangeable equipment designed for lifting person(s) (covered by EN 1459-3:2015);

interface for equipment for container handling (e.g. spreader);

interface for equipment permanently installed on the machine and not intended to be removed by the user.

NOTE In this case, equipment becomes part of the truck. This document does not give requirements for the completed assembly of a truck fitted with an attachment. This document does not address risks to parts of the truck other than the interface with the attachment. This document is not applicable to interfaces manufactured before the date of its publication.

This international standard has a certain amendment that must be coordinated with the date of publication of the document and technologies implemented in your production. If, after reading the description of the document, you were misled whether it is possible for you to use this standard or not, we recommend that you seek advice from our specialists, who will be happy to answer all your questions.

Crane - Safety - Non-fixed load lifting attachments

EN 13155:2020

Sometimes international standards are created for individual parts, but sometimes one document may contain recommendations for equipment with similar technological parameters and methods of use. One of them is EN 13155: 2020.

This document specifies safety requirements for the following non-fixed load lifting attachments for cranes, hoists and manually controlled load manipulating devices:

a)   plate clamps;

b)   vacuum lifters:

1)   self-priming;

2)   non-self-priming (pump, venturi, turbine);

c)   lifting magnets:

1)   electric lifting magnets (battery fed and mains-fed);

2)   permanent lifting magnets;

3)   electro-permanent lifting magnets;

d)   lifting beams;

e)   C-hooks;

f)   lifting forks;

g)   clamps;

h)   lifting insert systems for use in normal weight concrete, as defined in Clause 3.

This document does not give requirements for:

-   non-fixed load lifting attachments in direct contact with foodstuffs or pharmaceuticals requiring a high level of cleanliness for hygiene reasons;

-   hazards resulting from handling specific hazardous materials (e.g. explosives, hot molten masses, radiating materials);

-   hazards caused by operation in an explosive atmosphere;

-   hazards caused by noise;

-   hazards relating to the lifting of persons;

-   electrical hazards;

-   hazards due to hydraulic and pneumatic components.

For high risk applications not covered by this standard, EN 13001-2:2014, 4.3.2 gives guidance to deal with them. This document covers the proof of static strength, the elastic stability and the proof of fatigue strength. This document does not generally applies to attachments intended to lift above people. Some attachments are suitable for that purpose if equipped with additional safety features. In such cases the additional safety features are specified in the specific requirements.

This document does not cover slings, ladles, expanding mandrels, buckets, grabs, or grab buckets. This document does not cover power operated container handling spreaders, which are in the scope of EN 15056. This document is not applicable to non-fixed load attachments manufactured before the date of its publication.

This document is one of the few standards in which the broadest description of all possible processes that it regulates is given. That is why you can check it with the technical parameters of your activities and understand in more detail whether it is possible to implement this standard in your operational activities.

Cranes - Access

EN 13586:2020

Despite the fact that the equipment used in industries such as construction, for the most part is subject to technological regulation. Also, international standards are created that describe the recommendations and requirements for the design of this equipment. One of these specific international standards is EN 13586: 2020.

This document specifies design requirements for non-powered access installed on cranes.

NOTE 1 For other type of access, a requirement for information to be supplied is specified.

Slidable, retractable means of access are excluded from the scope, except movable hoop guards.

This document covers means of access to control stations and all access required for maintenance, certain erection and dismantling operations. For those cranes which are intended to be erected and dismantled frequently to change their places of work, specific requirements for the access needed during these operations are not covered by this document and should be given in the appropriate European Standards for specific crane types.

Lighting of means of access is not covered by this document and should be given in the appropriate European Standards for specific crane types. NOTE 2 Specific requirements for access on particular types of cranes are given in the appropriate European Standard for the particular crane type. The requirements given in this document do not take into account the safety distances related to:

• guarding against hazard from moving parts;

• relative movement between crane and adjacent structure or the ground/floor;

• hazardous surface temperature;

• electrical equipment.

The significant hazards covered by this document are identified in Clause 4. This document is not applicable to cranes which are manufactured before the date of publication by CEN of this document.

Understanding the concept of design, it is necessary to understand that this word is used in a specific context described by a separate category of international standards. That is why, in order to clearly understand the area that this document regulates, we recommend that you familiarize yourself in detail with its content and description before purchasing.

Rough-terrain trucks - Safety requirements and verification - Part 4: Additional requirements for variable-reach trucks handling freely suspended loads

EN 1459-4:2020

Sometimes, instead of acquiring a whole standard, it is enough to have only separate parts of it available, which clearly and clearly make it clear which stages of your activities need to be improved, and which are at the appropriate level for today's requirements of international standardization institutions. One of the international standards governing the safety of rough terrain trucks is EN 1459-4: 2020.

This document specifies the safety requirements and means of verification in addition to EN 1459-1:2017+A1:2020 and EN 1459-2:2015+A1:2018 as applicable, for rough-terrain variable-reach trucks (hereafter referred to as trucks) designed and intended for handling suspended loads which can swing freely in one or more directions. It is applicable to trucks covered by EN 1459-1:2017+A1:2020 and EN 1459-2:2015+A1:2018. This document does not apply to:

• the lifting of suspended loads which by design of the load or the lifting attachments does not allow the load to swing freely in any direction;

• the handling of flexible intermediate bulk containers, as defined in ISO 21898:2004, carried under the forks of the truck or with attachments intended for this purpose;

• any attachments / means used for lifting personnel;

• lifting accessories;

• freight container handling trucks;

mobile cranes (covered by EN 13000:2010+A1:2014).

This document deals with all significant hazards, hazardous situations or hazardous events, related to trucks handling a freely suspended load, when they are used as intended and under conditions of misuse which are reasonably foreseeable by the manufacturer (see Annex A).

This document does not deal with load limiter for attachments. This document is not applicable to rough-terrain variable-reach trucks designed and intended for handling suspended loads manufactured before the date of its publication.

The description of this document refers to several other standards. In this case, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with their description in order to understand the specific type of equipment that can be regulated by the aforementioned international document.

Powered industrial trucks - Visibility-Test methods and verification - Part 8: Stand-on counterbalance trucks up to and including 10 000 kg capacity

EN 16842-8:2021

We have already repeatedly mentioned the importance of such a stage of production activity as test methods. Sometimes a general international standard is created for a certain category of equipment or production, but sometimes the specification of activities requires a more detailed disclosure of a certain number of issues. One example of a specification in the standardization of test methods is the international document EN 16842-8: 2021.

This document specifies the requirements and test procedures for 360° visibility of stand-on counterbalance trucks with a capacity up to and including 10 000 kg in accordance with ISO 5053-1 (herein after referred to as trucks) without a load and it is intended to be used in conjunction with EN 16842-1.

Where specific requirements in this part are modified from the general requirements in EN 16842-1, the requirements of this part are truck-specific and to be used for stand-on counterbalance trucks with a capacity up to and including 10 000 kg.

This part of EN 16842 deals with all significant hazards, hazardous situations or hazardous events, relevant to the visibility of the operator for applicable machines when used as intended and under conditions of misuse which are reasonably foreseeable by the manufacturer.

If you are interested not only in the stage of regulation of test methods, but also in building the entire system in the industry that is described in this standard, you can follow the link to the site and purchase all types of standards for each stage to be sure that the created your system will be able to be at a decent competitive level of the modern global market.

Technical parameters determine the choice of the right document

This type of equipment has a large number of technical amendments and clarifications, which is why we recommend that you familiarize yourself with each of them in more detail by clicking on the links attached to the name. Thus, you will be able to avoid further errors in the introduction of an incorrect document, and as a result of a large number of financial risks. If you have applied previous versions of the above standards, we recommend that you update them in order to keep abreast of the latest international requirements in the industry in which you operate. It is the action that will help you gain confidence that the activities you are carrying out will bring the highest quality final result.