SIST EN ISO 17916:2016 PDF

Overview

EN ISO 17916:2016 (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 is a type‑C standard that addresses the complete machine lifecycle: design, construction, production, transport, installation, operation, maintenance and putting out of service. The standard applies to machines with open gantry, cantilever designs or where the track is incorporated in the cutting table. It excludes handheld equipment, constrained tracking systems mounted on the workpiece, and most tool‑specific design standards (e.g. hose or plasma power supply electrical requirements).

Key topics and requirements

• Scope and application: Defines which thermal cutting machines are covered and which are excluded (laser radiation hazards other than position‑indicating lasers are excluded; ISO 11553 covers lasers).
• Risk assessment and reduction: Aligns with ISO 12100 principles to identify hazards unique to thermal cutting systems and reduce risk through design and safeguards.
• Safety‑related control systems: Requirements reference ISO 13849‑1 for safety parts of control systems.
• Physical safeguards and distances: Guidance on guarding, safety distances and minimum gaps (ISO 13854 / ISO 13857 referenced).
• Fume extraction and ventilation: Includes informative annexes with examples and calculation methods for exhaust system dimensioning and measurement (air velocity at cutting table entrances).
• Ergonomics, marking and documentation: Instruction handbook, markings, noise declaration and user information requirements, referencing ergonomics and acoustic standards (EN 894 series, ISO 3746, ISO 11202, ISO 4871).
• Annexes: Examples of hazards, exhaust calculation examples, protective device limits, compression/collision calculations and measurement methods.

Practical applications and users

Who uses EN ISO 17916:2016:

• Machine designers and OEMs building thermal cutting machinery
• System integrators and automation engineers implementing gantry or table‑based cutters
• Safety engineers and compliance officers performing risk assessments
• Maintenance teams and facility managers preparing safe operation and decommissioning procedures
• Notified bodies and test labs assessing conformity with EU Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC)

Benefits:

• Ensures consistent machinery safety practices across design and operation
• Helps demonstrate presumption of conformity with essential requirements of EU machinery legislation when applied
• Improves operator safety, controls fume and noise risks, and clarifies limits of applicability

Related standards

• ISO 12100 (risk assessment)
• ISO 13849‑1 (safety control systems)
• IEC 60204‑1 (electrical equipment of machines)
• ISO 11553 (laser cutting safety)
• ISO 15012‑4 (fume capture/separation)
• Selected welding/gas standards (ISO 3821, ISO 8207, ISO 517x series)

Using EN ISO 17916:2016 helps manufacturers and users of thermal cutting systems build safer, compliant machinery and implement practical safeguards for oxy‑fuel and plasma cutting installations.