ISO 17916:2016

Overview

ISO 17916:2016 - Safety of thermal cutting machines - specifies safety requirements and protective measures for machinery that use thermal cutting and marking processes (for example oxy-fuel and plasma arc). It covers the machine lifecycle: design, construction, production, transport, installation, operation, maintenance and decommissioning. The standard applies to machines based on open gantry, cantilever designs, or where the track is incorporated into the cutting table. It does not cover handheld cutters, toolspecific design standards (e.g., oxy-fuel hoses or plasma power-supply electrical requirements), or laser radiation risks (except position-indicating lasers).

Key topics and technical requirements

• Scope and definitions - clear definition of thermal cutting, tool, aggregate, cutting table (dry and water tables), exhaust system, movement envelope and working area.
• Risk assessment - requires application of general principles from ISO 12100 (risk assessment and risk reduction) to identify hazards during commissioning, operation, maintenance and decommissioning.
• Mechanical safety & collision protection - requirements for protective devices and collision-mitigation; examples include limits on contact forces and energy (e.g., force < 150 N, energy < 10 J, pressure < 50 N/cm²) and protective device lower limits near the table (≤ 180 mm) or adjusted for workpiece thickness.
• Control systems & safety-related parts - references to design of safety-related control parts (see ISO 13849-1).
• Exhaust and fume management - requirements for exhaust units and system design to control fumes and gases from thermal cutting processes (see annexes with calculation examples).
• Information for use - obligations for instruction handbooks, marking, noise declaration and other user information to support safe installation and operation.
• Verification & testing - visual inspections, calculations and measurement procedures (e.g., measurement of air velocity at cutting table intake).

Applications - who uses ISO 17916:2016

• Machine designers and OEMs of gantry/cantilever thermal cutting equipment
• System integrators and production engineers installing plasma or oxy-fuel cutting cells
• Health & safety engineers, maintenance managers and plant safety officers responsible for guarding, fume extraction and safe operation
• Compliance officers and certification bodies assessing machine conformity to type‑C safety requirements

Related standards

• ISO 12100 (risk assessment), ISO 13849-1 (safety-related control systems), ISO 11553 (laser radiation), IEC 60204-1 (electrical equipment of machines), ISO 15012-4 (fume capture and separation), plus multiple gas-welding equipment standards (ISO 3821, ISO 5171, ISO 5172, ISO 8207).

ISO 17916:2016 is essential for ensuring safe, compliant design and operation of industrial thermal cutting systems, helping reduce mechanical, fire, fume and ergonomic risks while meeting regulatory and industry best practices.