ISO 11680:2025

Overview

ISO 11680:2025 - Machinery for forestry - Safety requirements and testing for portable pole mounted powered pruners - defines safety and verification measures for portable, pole‑mounted powered pruners driven by internal combustion engines. It applies to extendable and telescopic machines that transmit power via a shaft to a cutting attachment (saw‑chain and guide bar, reciprocating saw blade, or a single‑piece circular saw blade up to 205 mm outside diameter). The standard addresses significant hazards when machines are used as intended and is applicable to machines manufactured after its publication date.

Key topics and technical requirements

ISO 11680:2025 organizes safety provisions and test methods across design, construction and user information. Major topics include:

• Protection against contact with power‑driven components and hot parts, plus verification procedures.
• Handles, hand grips and harness requirements, including backpack power unit provisions and harness verification.
• Cutting attachment types, strength and guarding - covers saw‑chains, circular blades and reciprocating blades.
• Cutting attachment cover and distance to reduce contact risks and ensure mechanical integrity.
• Engine controls: starting and stopping devices, throttle control (trigger and latch behavior) and clutch requirements with verification tests.
• Fuel system safety: fuel feed line strength, fuel tank structural integrity and related verification procedures (Annex B addresses evaluation of fuel feed lines).
• Exhaust gas, vibration and noise reduction at source and measurement requirements. Note: whole‑body vibration from backpack units is not covered.
• Electromagnetic immunity, hydraulic/pneumatic hose integrity for backpack units, and label durability tests (wipe resistance and adhesion).
• Information for use, markings and warnings: required technical data, warning placement and label testing.

Annexes include a list of significant hazards (Annex A), normative test procedures for fuel feed lines (Annex B), and verification of protection against hot parts (Annex C).

Practical applications - who uses this standard

• Manufacturers and OEMs of portable pole‑mounted powered pruners for design and compliance.
• Test laboratories and conformity assessment bodies performing safety verification and type testing.
• Safety engineers, product managers and R&D teams implementing risk mitigation.
• Procurement officers and regulators specifying accepted safety criteria for forestry equipment.
• Training organizations creating safe‑use manuals and operator instruction content.

Related standards

• ISO 11806‑1 and ISO 11806‑2 - brush cutter requirements (note: brush cutters with circular saw blades are excluded from ISO 11680:2025).
• Refer to national regulations and other ISO/IEC directives for conformity and implementation guidance.

Keywords: ISO 11680, portable pole mounted powered pruners, forestry machinery safety, saw‑chain, circular saw blade, safety testing, fuel tank integrity, throttle control, harness, vibrations, noise.