ISO 5395-1:2013

Overview

ISO 5395-1:2013 - Garden equipment - Safety requirements for combustion-engine-powered lawnmowers - Part 1: Terminology and common tests defines the vocabulary and common test methods used to verify safety for combustion-engine-powered rotary and cylinder lawnmowers (pedestrian-controlled and ride-on). The standard covers mowers with metallic cutting means and non‑metallic pivoting cutting elements that rely on centrifugal force and have ≥10 J kinetic energy per element. ISO 5395-1:2013 is a type‑C standard that establishes test methods and terminology for product design, verification and conformity assessment of combustion-engine-powered lawnmowers; it excludes electrically powered mowers and various specialized mower types (robotic, flail, grassland, sickle-bar, towed/semi‑mounted, scrub‑clearing machines, and cutting-means used with agricultural tractors).

Key topics and requirements

• Terminology: Standardized definitions for components and concepts such as cutting means, cutting-means enclosure, operator-presence control (OPC), cutting-means stopping time, throw line, ride-on vs pedestrian-controlled lawnmowers, and more - ensuring consistent interpretation across manufacturers and test labs.
• Common test methods: Normative test procedures applicable to both rotary and cylinder lawnmowers and rotary-specific tests. Annexes include:
  • Annex A: Cutting-means stopping time and durability test
  • Annex B: Rotary lawnmower cutting-means impact test
  • Annex C: Rotary lawnmower foot protection test
  • Annex D: Rotary lawnmower structural integrity test
  • Annex E: Rotary lawnmower thrown object test
  • Annex F: Noise test code (Grade 2)
  • Annex G: Whole-body and hand–arm vibration test code
  • Annex H: Determination of hot surfaces
  • Annex I: Example artificial surface meeting requirements
• Test scope and application rules: Guidance on test order, use of separate machines/components for testing, and applicability to both pedestrian-controlled and ride-on types.
• Safety context: Designed to be used with ISO 12100 risk assessment principles; where conflicts exist, the type‑C requirements take precedence over more general standards.

Applications and users

ISO 5395-1:2013 is used by:

• Manufacturers and product designers to ensure mower designs meet recognized safety terminology and test methods.
• Test laboratories and conformity assessors for carrying out stopping-time, impact, thrown-object, noise and vibration tests.
• Regulatory bodies, safety engineers and compliance officers for harmonized assessment of combustion-engine lawnmower safety.
• R&D teams and technical writers preparing user manuals, warning labels, and service procedures aligned with standardized definitions.

Practical uses include pre‑market testing, type testing during design validation, risk reduction per ISO 12100, and documentation of compliance for market access.

Related standards

• ISO 5395-2:2013 - Pedestrian-controlled lawnmowers
• ISO 5395-3:2013 - Ride-on lawnmowers with seated operator
• ISO 12100:2010 - Safety of machinery - Risk assessment and reduction
• IEC 60335-1 / IEC 60335-2-77 - Requirements for electrically powered walk‑behind lawnmowers (for electric mower safety)