Overview
EN ISO 10472-1:2008 (ISO 10472-1:1997) sets out the common safety requirements for industrial laundry machinery. Adopted by CEN, this Part 1 provides a systematic framework for identifying significant hazards and selecting safety measures for machines used in industrial laundry premises (hotels, hospitals, prisons, commercial laundries and self-service installations meeting specified capacities). It is the general part of the ISO 10472 series and is intended for machine designers, manufacturers and safety assessors.
Key topics
- Scope & normative references: Defines applicability and related standards in the ISO 10472 series (Parts 2–6) and other referenced documents.
- Definitions: Common terminology used across industrial laundry safety standards.
- Significant hazards: Lists typical hazards associated with industrial laundry machinery.
- Safety requirements / measures:
- Mechanical hazards (guards, escape/rescue, maintenance access)
- Electrical hazards
- Thermal hazards (hot surfaces)
- Noise-related hazards (identification and mitigation)
- Hazards from materials and substances (chemicals, dusts, fire/explosion risks, biological agents)
- Ergonomic considerations
- Failures of energy supply and control systems
- Maintenance and fault-elimination safeguards
- Verification: Procedures to verify that safety measures achieve the intended protection.
- Information for use: Requirements for instruction handbooks and warning signs.
- Annexes:
- A (normative): Additional specifications for fence guards
- B (informative): Example plant layouts
- C (informative): Bibliography
Practical applications
- Ensures machine safety by design for washer-extractors, washing tunnels, air dryers, ironers and presses (see Parts 2–6 for machine-specific requirements).
- Helps OEMs and integrators achieve a presumption of conformity with EU machinery directives when the standard is cited (see Annex ZA/ZB for relationships to EU Directives 98/37/EC and 2006/42/EC).
- Used by: design engineers, product compliance teams, safety managers, notified bodies, test labs, and procurement professionals specifying safe industrial laundry equipment.
- Supports risk assessment and selection of state-of-the-art protective measures such as guards, emergency escape provisions, electrical protection and user information.
Related standards
- ISO 10472 series:
- Part 2: Washing machines and washer-extractors
- Part 3: Washing tunnel lines
- Part 4: Air dryers
- Part 5: Flatwork ironers, feeders and folders
- Part 6: Ironing and fusing presses
- ISO/TR 12100-1 / 12100-2 (safety of machinery - basic concepts and principles)
- Relevant IEC/ISO standards for electrical safety, signage and testing
Keywords: industrial laundry machinery, safety requirements, EN ISO 10472-1:2008, ISO 10472-1, CEN, machine safety, washer-extractor, washing tunnel, flatwork ironer, compliance.
