In total approximately 30 harmonized agricultural machinery standards have been adapted to the new Machinery Directive. It was decided not to change the technical content but put in annex the list of requirements from the Machinery Directive that have been fulfilled.
Two specific standards for agricultural machinery are finally accepted as hamonized standards under the Machinery Directive. It concerns EN ISO 4254-1:2009 (Agricultural machinery – safety – general requirerments) and EN 15811 (Agricultural machinery - Guards for moving parts of power transmission - Guard opening with tool). The latter standard gives safety requirements, and the means of verifying them, for the design and construction of guards, only able to be opened with a tool, which are used to guard the moving parts of the power transmission of self-propelled ride-on machines and mounted, semi-mounted or trailed machines used in agriculture. In addition, it specifies the type of information on safe working practices (including residual risks) to be provided by the manufacturer.
EN ISO 4254-1:2009 deals with the general safety requirements for the design and construction of self-propelled ride-on machines and mounted, semi-mounted or trailed machines used in agriculture
By this harmonization the presumption of conformity increases for the manufacturers using these standards. It thererfore provides better protection for possible law suits in case of accidents , under the condition that the technical solution or interpretation as given by the standard is followed precisely.
