§169 ガード

The term ‘guard’ is used for parts of the machinery specifically designed to fulfil a protective function. Other parts of the machinery that fulfil a primarily operational function, such as, for example, the frame of the machinery, may also fulfil a protective function but are not referred to as guards.

Guards are defined as providing protection by means of a physical barrier such as, for example, a casing, a shield, a cover, a screen, a door, an enclosure or a fence. The term ‘physical barrier’ implies that a guard is constituted by a solid material such as, for example, steel or plastic, to be chosen according to the protection required. The materials used may be continuous or perforated and may be rigid or flexible.

Guards are one of the means that can be used to prevent access to danger zones in or around machinery. In many cases, the guard acts as a barrier in both directions in order to protect against two or more risks simultaneously. For example, a guard may be fitted both to prevent persons entering a danger zone and also to prevent ejected objects or fluids, noise emissions, radiation or hazardous substances from reaching persons in the environment of the machinery.

The Machinery Directive distinguishes three main kinds of guards: fixed guards, interlocking moveable guards and adjustable guards restricting access – see §217: comments on section 1.4.2 of Annex I.

When placed independently on the market, guards are considered as safety components – see §42: comments on Article 2 (c) and §389: comments on Annex V (1) (3) and (7).

http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/consumer-safety/rag/help/RAG.pdf.