ISO 28139:2019

Overview

ISO 28139:2019 - "Equipment for crop protection - Knapsack combustion engine-driven airblast sprayers - Safety and environmental requirements and test methods" is an ISO Type‑C standard that specifies safety, environmental requirements and associated test methods for knapsack combustion engine‑driven airblast sprayers. It covers design and construction, hazard elimination/reduction, minimum performance limits, and the information manufacturers must provide on safe working practices. The standard applies to machines used as intended and under foreseeable conditions (see Table A.1), and its requirements apply to products manufactured 18 months after publication.

Key technical topics and requirements

ISO 28139:2019 addresses a comprehensive set of safety and environmental topics, including:

• Safety requirements and protective measures
  • Stability in operation, machine support and harness
  • Exhaust system design and protection from hot parts
  • Air tubes, chemical hoses, liquid line shut‑off valves
  • User controls: handle, throttle trigger, starting and stopping devices
  • Fuel tank design and protection of power‑driven components
  • Electrical and ignition circuit requirements, electromagnetic immunity
  • Vibration and noise reduction and measurement (vibration effects on operator’s back are excluded)
• Environmental requirements
  • Spray tank integrity, strainers and filters, air hoses and fan performance
  • Droplet size characteristics and tests for potential ground/vertical deposit
  • Residual liquid mass limits and requirements for carrying strap absorbency
  • Stability and spray liquid flow rate under test conditions
• Test methods
  • Defined procedures for spray output, air velocity, stability, residual liquid, droplet size and sampling grids
  • Test liquids, test conditions, reporting formats (see Annexes I and J)
• Information for use
  • Mandatory instruction handbook content, marking and warning signs for safe operation

(See the standard’s table of contents for full clause breakdown and informative/ normative annexes.)

Practical applications and who uses ISO 28139:2019

ISO 28139:2019 is practical for:

• Manufacturers and designers of knapsack combustion engine‑driven airblast sprayers - to meet safety, environmental and test requirements during design and production.
• Test laboratories and conformity assessment bodies - for standardized test methods and test report content.
• Regulators and market surveillance - to assess compliance and product safety before placing on market.
• Large farm operators, equipment purchasers and safety managers - as a reference for selecting compliant, lower‑risk sprayers and understanding manufacturer information and warnings.
• Health and safety professionals - for risk reduction, PPE planning and environmental impact evaluation.

Related standards and context

• ISO 28139:2019 is a Type‑C machinery safety standard in the framework of ISO 12100 (risk assessment and machine safety).
• It replaces ISO 28139:2009 and ISO 10988:2011 and adds environmental tests and updated state‑of‑the‑art requirements.

Keywords: ISO 28139:2019, knapsack combustion engine-driven airblast sprayers, safety requirements, environmental requirements, test methods, crop protection, sprayer standards.