ISO 16093:2017

Overview - What ISO 16093:2017 covers

ISO 16093:2017, "Machine tools - Safety - Sawing machines for cold metal", is a type‑C machine safety standard that addresses significant hazards, hazardous situations and events for sawing machines whose primary intended use is sawing cold metal (ferrous and non‑ferrous). It applies to metal sawing machines manufactured after publication and can serve as a safety basis when machines perform additional processing (milling, boring, marking, finishing). The standard covers mechanical, electrical, thermal, noise, vibration, ergonomic and material‑related hazards, while noting that fire/explosion measures and a full noise test code are intended for future revisions.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Scope and definitions - clear definitions of sawing machine types and main hazard zones.
• Guard requirements - general guarding principles for all sawing machines and type‑specific guard examples (band saws, circular saws, hack saws).
• Modes of operation & control systems - safe modes, control system design and safety‑related parts of control systems (performance level considerations).
• Type‑specific safeguards - detailed safety measures for band‑sawing, circular sawing and horizontal‑pivot hacksaw machines.
• Mechanical hazards - transmission elements, work‑holding/clamping, loading/unloading devices, chip/swarf handling and preventive maintenance.
• Electrical, thermal, noise and vibration hazards - mitigation principles; note that the document addresses noise hazards but does not provide a full noise test code in this edition.
• Ergonomics and human factors - design to avoid unhealthy posture, excessive effort, poor control layout and human error.
• Unexpected start/overrun - requirements for prevention and safe restoration after power interruptions.
• Verification & information for use - verification procedures, markings, instruction handbook and noise declaration.
• Normative annexes - noise emission measurement and test conditions; informative annexes include guard examples and performance level determination guidance.

Practical applications - who uses ISO 16093:2017

• Machine manufacturers - to design and certify safe sawing machines and integrate safeguards for band, circular and hacksaw types.
• Safety engineers & compliance officers - for risk assessment, machine modification, CE marking support and conformity verification.
• Purchasers and end‑users (workshops, fabrication shops) - to evaluate machine safety features, documentation and operator information.
• Regulators, market surveillance & test laboratories - to assess compliance and to reference for inspections or safety testing.
• Maintenance and service providers - to apply preventive maintenance and safe access provisions.

Related standards

ISO 16093 references several normative standards for design and testing, including:

• ISO 12100 (risk assessment & risk reduction), ISO 13849‑1 (safety‑related control systems)
• Acoustic and noise standards: ISO 3744 / ISO 3746 / ISO 9614‑1 / ISO 4871 / ISO 11202 / ISO 11204
• Fluid power: ISO 4413 (hydraulic), ISO 4414 (pneumatic)
• Ergonomics: ISO 9355 series

Use ISO 16093:2017 as a practical guide for machine safety design, conformity, operator protection and for integrating relevant acoustic, ergonomic and control‑system requirements into sawing machines for cold metal.