It has been over 6 years since May 1, 2004, the date of Poland’s accession to the European Union, and some of us are still unaware of the obligation to apply EU law. Therefore, below we will list and briefly characterize the directives that we may encounter in logistics.
I. Machinery Directive
Scope of application:
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machinery (including partly completed machinery)
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interchangeable equipment
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safety components
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lifting accessories
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chains, ropes, belts
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devices for mechanical power transmission.
This directive is the fundamental directive applicable in the logistics industry; it covers all material handling equipment, starting from powered trucks and stacker cranes to powered conveyors. The directive also includes special racks that have their own mechanical drive, i.e., “pater noster” type racks and mobile racks.
II. Lifts Directive.
Applies to goods lifts/elevators where the cabin also allows for the transport of people. This directive is mainly applicable in cases where warehouse buildings or logistics centers are equipped with goods lifts allowing for the transport of people in the cabin or similar lifting devices.
III. Low Voltage Directive.
The scope of application covers most devices where the following may occur: alternating current with a voltage of 50-1000 V; direct current with a voltage of 75-1500 V. This directive is intended to ensure the safety of electrical equipment. Its application is meant to eliminate two basic dangers associated with the use of electricity, namely electric shock and fire.
IV. EMC Directive
Scope of application – electrical equipment. This directive is intended to ensure protection against external electromagnetic fields, as well as the generation of fields that could affect the operation of other devices. This directive is often underestimated, yet all automated logistics processes are controlled by electronic components, and sometimes even lives depend on their safety.
V. Radio Equipment Directive
Scope of application – devices used for transmitting and receiving information, connected directly or indirectly to a public telecommunications network via cable, radio terminal, optical, or other electromagnetic means. In logistics, the directive is mainly used to ensure the safety of radio transmission.
Information systems using radio waves as a medium are increasingly used in the industry, and it is this directive that is intended to ensure the safety of their use. In this case, we cannot speak of excluding the directive from application due to the fact that we use the system on company premises. In the case of radio waves, we are not dealing with a private medium; secondly, logistics systems using radio terminals are usually connected indirectly to a public telecommunications network.
It should be noted that a radio system should have the CEnnnn marking, where the numerical index indicates the certification body notified to the European Commission, which confirms the product’s compliance with applicable standards. If a supplier provides us with a radio system for use without confirmation of compliance by a notified body, they are providing us with a defective system.
The article comes from the magazine “Logistyka” 3/2010.