Overview
EN ISO 20607:2019 - Safety of machinery - Instruction handbook - General drafting principles specifies requirements for machine manufacturers to prepare the safety‑relevant parts of an instruction handbook. It focuses on the safety content, structure and presentation of instructions across all phases of a machine’s life cycle, and establishes principles to communicate residual risks and safe use. This standard complements ISO 12100 (risk reduction strategy) and aligns with guidance in IEC/IEEE 82079‑1 for preparing user instructions.
Key topics and requirements
- Scope and applicability: Requirements apply to machinery manufactured after the publication date; the standard does not address declaration of noise and vibration emissions.
- Safety content & residual risks: Provide clear, essential information about residual hazards after risk reduction measures and required user behaviour.
- Structure & presentation: Prescribes coherent structure (introduction, safety, machine overview, transport/handling, installation, operation, maintenance, cleaning, troubleshooting, dismantling, documents, glossary, annexes) to improve usability.
- Target audience & information needs: Identify and address different user groups (operators, maintenance staff, installers) with suitable language, warnings, and visuals.
- Language, wording and legibility: Use comprehensible terminology, consistent warnings, clear formatting, and readable layouts to reduce misuse.
- Warnings & symbols: Standardized use of hazard and safety symbols and warning statements to communicate risk effectively.
- Life‑cycle coverage: Instructions must cover transportation, assembly, commissioning, operation, capacity changeover, inspection/testing, maintenance, repair, disposal.
- IT security: Include considerations for IT security vulnerabilities where relevant to safe operation.
- Traceability & supplier information: Incorporate safety information from component or subsystem suppliers where it affects overall machine safety.
Practical applications and users
Who uses EN ISO 20607:2019:
- Machine manufacturers and OEMs - to produce compliant instruction handbooks that clearly document safe use and residual risks.
- Technical writers and documentation teams - to structure and phrase safety content for diverse user groups.
- Safety engineers and compliance officers - to demonstrate conformity with ISO 12100 risk-reduction strategy and support CE marking (see Annex ZA / Directive 2006/42/EC).
- Maintenance teams, installers and end users - benefit from clearer, life‑cycle instructions that reduce incidents and downtime.
- Regulators and market surveillance bodies - use the standard as a benchmark for assessing instruction quality.
Related standards
- ISO 12100:2010 - general principles for risk assessment and reduction (correspondence included).
- IEC/IEEE 82079‑1 - guidance on the preparation of instructions for use (for broader documentation practices).
- Directive 2006/42/EC - EN ISO 20607 supports essential requirements for machinery safety when cited in the Official Journal.
EN ISO 20607:2019 helps organizations create usable, safety‑focused instruction handbooks that improve compliance, reduce risk, and enhance operator understanding across the machine life cycle.