EN 12733:2001

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
SIST EN 12733:2001
01-december-2001
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Agricultural and forestry machinery - Pedestrian controlled motor mowers - Safety
Land- und forstwirtschaftliche Maschinen - Handgeführte Motormäher - Sicherheit
Matériel agricole et forestier - Motofaucheuses a conducteur a pied - Sécurité
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN 12733:2001
ICS:
65.060.50 Oprema za spravilo pridelkov Harvesting equipment
SIST EN 12733:2001 en
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

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EUROPEAN STANDARD
EN 12733
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
May 2001
ICS 65.060.50
English version
Agricultural and forestry machinery - Pedestrian controlled motor
mowers - Safety
Matériel agricole et forestier - Motofaucheuses à Land- und forstwirtschaftliche Maschinen - Handgeführte
conducteur à pied - Sécurité Motormäher - Sicherheit
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 21 January 2001.
CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European
Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national
standards may be obtained on application to the Management Centre or to any CEN member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by translation
under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the Management Centre has the same status as the official
versions.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
Management Centre: rue de Stassart, 36  B-1050 Brussels
© 2001 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN 12733:2001 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

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EN 12733:2001
Contents
Foreword.4
Introduction .4
1 Scope .5
2 Normative references .5
3 Terms and definitions.7
4 List of hazards.8
5 Safety requirements and/or measures .8
5.1 General.8
5.2 Engine starting and stopping devices.8
5.3 Manual controls .9
5.4 Marking of controls.10
5.5 Controls of the movement of the machine and of the blade(s).10
5.6 Reverse gear.11
5.7 Handlebars.11
5.8 Pressurized components .11
5.9 Liquid spillage.11
5.10 Exhaust system.11
5.11 Steering mechanism.14
5.12 Brakes .16
5.13 Electrical installations .17
5.14 Noise .17
5.15 Vibration.17
6 Specific requirements .18
6.1 Sickle bar mowers .18
6.2 Grassland mowers.19
6.3 Flail mowers .30
6.4 Scrub clearing machines .32
7 Information for use .35
7.1 Instruction handbook .35
7.2 Marking .36
Annex A (normative) List of hazards.37
Annex B (normative) Noise test code for motor mowers - Engineering method (grade 2) .42
B.0 Scope .42
B.1 A-weighted sound power level determination .42
B.2 A-weighted emission sound pressure level determination.44
B.3 Requirements for test floor.44
B.4 Installation, mounting and operating conditions .44
B.5 Measurement uncertainties and declaration of noise emission values.45
B.6 Information to be recorded and reported .45
Annex C (normative) Vibration measurement of motor mowers.46
C.1 Quantities to be measured.46
C.2 Instrumentation.46
C.3 Measurement direction and measurement location.46
C.4 Test procedure .47
C.5 Measurement procedure .48
C.6 Determination of the measurement result.49
Annex D (normative) Foot probe test.50
D.1 Test equipment .50
D.2 Test method.50
D.3 Test acceptance .50

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EN 12733:2001
Annex E (normative) Material of protective skirts .52
E.1 Tearing resistance test.52
E.2 Perforation resistance test .52
E.3 Wear resistance test.52
Annex F (normative) Corrugated fibreboard penetration tests on grassland mowers - Test enclosure
wall panels (see 6.2.2.2.4.2) .53
F.1 Purpose.53
F.2 Test fixture.53
F.3 Fibreboard samples.53
F.4 Procedure .53
F.5 Acceptance criteria.53
Annex G (normative) Target elevation areas.55
G.1 Lower elevation target.55
G.2 Middle elevation target.55
G.3 Top elevation target.55
G.4 Operator target area .55
Annex H (normative) Test enclosure.56
H.1 Base.56
H.2 Target composition.56
Annex I (normative) Thrown object test for flail mower.59
I.1 Principle.59
I.2 Test installation.59
I.3 Test procedure.62
I.4 Test result.63
I.5 Acceptance criteria.63
Annex J (normative) Thrown object test for scrub clearing machines .64
J.1 Test equipment .64
J.2 Test method.64
J.3 Data sheet - Thrown object test for scrub clearing machine .66
Annex K (informative) Example of a material and construction fulfilling the requirements for an
artificial surface .68
K.1 Material .68
K.2 Construction.68
Annex L (informative) Examples of machines.71
Annex ZA (informative) Clauses of this European Standard addressing essential requirements or other
provisions of EU Directives. .72
Bibliography .73

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EN 12733:2001
Foreword
This European Standard has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 144 "Tractors and machinery for
agriculture and forestry", the secretariat of which is held by AFNOR.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an identical text or
by endorsement, at the latest by November 2001, and conflicting national standards shall be withdrawn at the latest
by November 2001.
This European Standard has been prepared under a mandate given to CEN by the European Commission and the
European Free Trade Association, and supports essential requirements of EU Directive(s).
For relationship with EU Directive(s), see informative Annex ZA, which is an integral part of this standard.
Annexes A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I and J are normative. Annexes K and L are informative.
According to the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organizations of the following
countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland,
France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

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EN 12733:2001
Introduction
The extent to which hazards are covered is indicated in the scope of this standard.
1 Scope
This standard specifies safety requirements and their verification for design and construction of pedestrian
controlled motor mowers with rotary or reciprocating cutting blades used in agricultural, forestry and landscaping to
cut and/or mulch grass or similar plants or scrub and woody vegetation. For the purposes of this standard the
following types of pedestrian controlled machines are considered to be motor mowers :

flail mowers ;

grassland mowers ;

scrub clearing machines ;

sickle bar mowers.
This standard applies also to multipurpose machines when are used for cutting or mulching grass or scrub.
This standard does not cover lawn mowers (see EN 836), engine driven brush cutters and grass trimmers
(see EN ISO 11806) or other lawn maintenance equipment.
This standard describes methods for the elimination or reduction of hazards arising from the use of motor mowers.
Additionally, it specifies the type of information to be provided by the manufacturer on safe working practices.
Environmental aspects have not been considered in this standard.
This standard applies primarily to machines which are manufactured after the date of issue of the standard.
2 Normative references
This European Standard incorporates by dated or undated reference, provisions from other publications. These
normative references are cited at the appropriate places in the text and the publications are listed hereafter. For
dated references, subsequent amendments to or revisions of any of these publications apply to this European
Standard only when incorporated in it by amendment or revision. For undated references the latest edition of the
publication referred to applies (including amendments).
EN 292-1:1991, Safety of machinery — Basic concepts, general principles for design — Part 1 : Basic terminology,
methodology.
EN 292-2:1991+A1:1995, Safety of machinery — Basic concepts, general principles for design — Part 2 :
Technical principles and specifications.
EN 294:1992, Safety of machinery — Safety distances to prevent danger zones being reached by the upper limbs.
EN 709:1997, Agricultural and forestry machinery — Pedestrian controlled tractors with mounted rotary cultivators,
motor hoes, motor hoes with drive wheel(s) — Safety.
EN 836:1997, Garden equipment — Powered lawnmowers — Safety.

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EN 12733:2001
CR 1030-1:1995:1995, Hand-arm vibration — Guidelines for vibration hazards reduction — Part 1 : Engineering
methods by design of machinery.
EN 1033:1995, Hand-arm vibration — Laboratory measurement of vibration at the grip surface of hand-guided
machinery – General.
EN ISO 354:1993, Acoustics — Measurement of sound absorption in a reverberation room (ISO 354:1985).
EN 60651:1994, Sound level meters (IEC 60651:1993).
EN 60804:1994, Integrating-averaging sound level meters (IEC 60804:1985 and A1:1989).
EN ISO 3744:1995, Acoustics — Determination of sound power levels of noise sources using sound pressure —
Engineering method in an essentially free field over a reflecting plane (ISO 3744:1994).
ISO 3767-1:1991, Tractors, machinery for agriculture and forestry, powered lawn and garden equipment —
Symbols for operator controls and other displays — Part 1 : Common symbols.
ISO 3767-3:1995, Tractors, machinery for agriculture and forestry, powered lawn and garden equipment —
Symbols for operator controls and other displays — Part 3: Symbols for powered lawn and garden equipment.
EN ISO 4871:1996, Acoustics — Declaration and verification of noise emission values of machinery and equipment
(ISO 4871:1996).
EN ISO 11201:1995, Acoustics — Noise emitted by machinery and equipment — Measurement of emission sound
pressure levels at a work station and at other specified positions — Engineering method in an essentially free field
over a reflecting plane (ISO 11201:1995).
EN ISO 11688-1:1998, Acoustics — Recommended practice for the design of low-noise machinery and
equipment — Part 1 : Planning (ISO/TR 11688-1:1995).
EN ISO 11688-2:2000, Acoustics — Recommended practice for the design of low-noise machinery and equipment
— Part 2 : Introduction to the physics of low-noise design.
ISO 2758:1983, Paper — Determination of bursting strength.
ISO 3789-1:1982, Tractors, machinery for agriculture and forestry, powered lawn and garden equipment —
Location and method of operation of operator controls — Part 1 : Common controls.
ISO 5718-1:1989, Harvesting equipment — Flat blades for rotary mowers — Specifications — Part 1 : Type A flat
blades.
ISO 5718-2:1991, Harvesting equipment — Flat blades for rotary mowers — Part 2 : Specifications for type B flat
blades.
ISO 11102-1:1997, Reciprocating internal combustion engines — Handle starting equipment — Part 1 : Safety
requirements and tests.
ISO 11102-2:1997, Reciprocating internal combustion engines — Handle starting equipment — Part 2 : Method of
testing the angle of disengagement.

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EN 12733:2001
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this standard, the terms and definitions given in EN 292-1:1991 and EN 292-2:1991/A1:1995
apply together with the following :
3.1
sickle bar mower
motor mower which uses a power source to reciprocate a knife or knives to provide a shearing action with a
stationary cutter bar or movable knife (see Figure L.1)
NOTE Adapted from EN 836:1997.
3.2
rotary cutting blade
cutting blade on which one or more knives or several blades fixed on drums or discs rotate around a vertical or
horizontal axis
3.3
grassland mower
motor mower with rotary cutting blade(s) rotating about a vertical axis designed for cutting or mulching high grass,
the cutting blade protective enclosure of which is not fully enclosing (see Figure L.2). The minimum cutting height is
limited by design to 50 mm
3.4
flail mower
grass-cutting machine with a multiplicity of free-swinging cutting elements that rotate about an axis parallel to the
cutting plane and cut by impact
[EN 836:1997]
3.5
scrub clearing machine
motor mower with rotary cutting blade(s) rotating about a vertical axis designed for cutting scrub and woody
vegetation. There is no ground support in front of cutting blade(s). The front of the machine is supported at either
side by skids, not wheels. At the front the cutting blade(s) enclosure may be open (see Figure L.3)
3.6
discharge opening
opening in the protective enclosure of the cutting blade through which the cut material can be ejected
3.7
discharge chute
extension of the discharge opening generally used to safely guide the ejection of the material coming from the
cutting blade
3.8
handlebar
device equipped with grips enabling the machine to be manually controlled
[EN 709:1997]
3.9
maximum operating engine speed
highest engine speed obtainable when adjusted in accordance with the machine manufacturer’s specifications
and/or instructions with the cutting blades engaged
NOTE Adapted from EN 836:1997.

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EN 12733:2001
3.10
normal operation
any use of the machine which is reasonably foreseeable, as seen by the user, and which is consistent with such
activities as cutting grass, starting, stopping, fuelling, or connecting to (or disconnecting from) a power source
NOTE Adapted from EN 836:1997.
3.11
normal use
normal operation, plus routine maintenance, servicing, cleaning, transporting, attaching or removing accessories, and
making ordinary adjustments as determined by the manufacturer's instructions
[EN 836:1997]
3.12
multipurpose machine
machine on which different attachments can be mounted
4 List of hazards
The hazards, among those appearing in EN 292-1:1991, EN 292-2:1991 and EN 292-2:1991/A1:1995 considered
as applicable to the machines covered in this standard, are given in annex A.
5 Safety requirements and/or measures
5.1 General
Unless otherwise specified in this standard, the machine shall conform to the requirements of Tables 1, 3, 4 and 6
of EN 294:1992.
5.2 Engine starting and stopping devices
5.2.1 Primary starting
A switch operated by a removable key, or a similar device shall be provided unless a manual starter is the only
means of engine starting.
Engine starting controls may only be outside the hand/foot reach zone defined in 5.3 if starting can only be
accomplished with the cutting blade drive disengaged.
With the exception of hand cranks (see ISO 11102-1:1997 and ISO 11102-2:1997) starting devices shall be integral
with the machine (e.g. recoil pull start). Loose belts, cables, etc. are not accepted.
If starting is achieved by means of a hand crank it shall be equipped with a device that disconnects the hand crank
immediately when the engine starts and prevents its connection when the engine is running or kick-back during
starting.
5.2.2 Secondary starting
If a secondary or an auxiliary starting device is provided it shall also conform to the requirements of the primary
starting device.
5.2.3 Stopping
A stopping device shall be provided. The device shall not depend on sustained manual pressure for its continued
operation.

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EN 12733:2001
5.3 Manual controls
The hand operated controls for :

clutch ;

brakes ;

traction gearbox (within the selected range) ;

reversing device ;

steering system ;

control of the engine working speed ;

hold-to-run control (see 5.5) ;

blade clutch lever ;

stop control ;
shall be within the “hand reach zone” (see below and Figure 1).
Gear box range, parking brake and differential lock controls may be located in the “foot reach zone” (see below and
Figure 1).
Controls, other than those in the lists above, which are only used before work is started or after it is finished may be
located outside the “hand/foot reach zones”.
“Hand reach zone” is the truncated hemispherical volume of radius R = 800 mm (see Figure 1). The centre of the
1
hemisphere is located at point B (the midpoint of a line joining the handlebar grip ends when the grips are set to a
height of 800 mm above the ground, or set to the next available lower height setting where this is not available).
The flat face of the hemisphere is on the vertical plane through the line joining the handlebar grip ends. The
hemisphere is truncated bellow by a horizontal plane positioned 450 mm above the ground.
“Foot reach zone” is the truncated hemispherical volume of radius R = 400 mm (see Figure 1). The centre of the
2
hemisphere is located at point C (800 mm forward of point B and 100 mm above the ground). The flat face of the
hemisphere is on the horizontal plane at 100 mm above the ground. The hemisphere is truncated by a vertical
plane positioned rearward of the centre of the hemisphere at the point where it would be intersected by a horizontal
plane 450 mm above the ground.

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EN 12733:2001
Dimensions in millimetres
Figure 1 — Volume of “hand reach zone” and “foot reach zone”
5.4 Marking of controls
Controls, whose purpose is not obvious, shall have the function, direction and/or method of operation clearly
identified by a durable label or mark.
Detailed instructions on the operation of all controls shall be provided in the instruction handbook.
If symbols are used for marking controls, they shall correspond to those in ISO 3767-1:1991 and ISO 3767-3:1995.
5.5 Controls of the movement of the machine and of the blade(s)
On motor mowers which are self-propelled it shall be possible to engage or disengage the traction drive when the
cutting blade is operating.
The movement of the machine and the movement of the blade(s) shall be possible only by actuating hold-to-run
controls. The hold-to-run controls shall be located on at least one of the handlebar grips.
Motor mowers shall be fitted with a device on the control handle which will automatically stop blade movement
when the operator's hands are removed from the handle. For restarting blade movement the hold-to-run control
shall require two separate actions.
The movement of the machine shall not start until the operator is able to grip both the control and the handlebar
grip.

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EN 12733:2001
5.6 Reverse gear
Controls for reverse drive direction shall conform to ISO 3789-1:1982.
In all machines with reverse gear, a positive neutral position of the driving mechanism shall be provided.
Except for blades mounted behind the rear ground support point of the machine the blades and the reverse gear
may operate simultaneously.
5.7 Handlebar
...