ISO 19353:2019

Overview - ISO 19353:2019 (Safety of machinery - Fire prevention and fire protection)

ISO 19353:2019 defines methods to identify fire hazards from machinery and to perform fire-related risk assessments. It provides the basic concepts and a structured methodology for integrating fire prevention and fire protection measures into machine design, construction and user information. The standard addresses intended use and reasonably foreseeable misuse, and gives guidance to reduce machinery fire risk to acceptable levels through design choices, risk assessment and operator instructions.

Scope notes / exclusions

• Not applicable to mobile machinery; machinery designed for controlled combustion (e.g., engines, furnaces) unless those processes can ignite other parts; machinery used in potentially explosive atmospheres; fire systems integrated into building fire safety; or machinery/components manufactured before its publication.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Fire hazards identification - combustible materials, oxidizers and potential ignition sources are defined and characterized.
• Risk assessment strategy - stepwise approach covering determination of machinery limits, hazard identification, risk estimation and risk evaluation.
• Risk reduction hierarchy - prioritizes inherently safe design, guarding/safeguarding and complementary protective measures (including fire detection and fire suppression).
• Selection and validation of protective systems - procedure for choosing fire detection/suppression systems, selecting extinguishing agents, specifying performance requirements and validating effectiveness.
• Information for use - requirements for user instructions and safety information related to fire prevention and protection.
• Informative annexes - practical examples, methodologies for selecting and qualifying detectors and suppression systems, design examples and case studies to support implementation.

Practical applications and users

Who uses ISO 19353:2019:

• Machine manufacturers (design and construction) to integrate fire-safe design and to justify protective measures.
• Safety engineers and risk assessors for structured fire risk analysis of machinery.
• Regulators and certification bodies when evaluating machinery safety against recognized methodology.
• Maintenance and service providers to understand residual risks and required protective systems.
• Employers and machine users to implement operator instructions and workplace controls.

Typical applications:

• Designing machinery with low fire risk by material selection and guarding.
• Choosing and validating on-machine fire detection and suppression systems.
• Preparing technical documentation and user instructions focused on fire safety.

Related standards

• ISO 12100:2010 - General principles for design, risk assessment and risk reduction (type-B context).
• ISO 13849-1 - Safety-related parts of control systems (design principles).
• ISO 13943 - Fire safety vocabulary.

Keywords: ISO 19353:2019, safety of machinery, fire prevention, fire protection, risk assessment, fire hazards, fire suppression system, fire detection, machine design, protective measures.