Overview
EN ISO 13854:2019 / ISO 13854:2017 - "Safety of machinery - Minimum gaps to avoid crushing of parts of the human body" provides guidance for avoiding crushing hazards by specifying minimum gaps between moving and fixed parts of machinery. Adopted by CEN as EN ISO 13854:2019, this Type B1 safety standard is intended for use when adequate protection can be achieved solely by maintaining specified clearances. It applies to crushing hazards only and does not address impact, shearing, drawing‑in or other hazard types - additional measures are required for those.
Key topics
- Scope and intent
- Defines the method for using minimum gaps to prevent crushing of body parts.
- Applicable only where gap-sizing alone provides adequate safety.
- Methodology
- Follows the iterative risk‑reduction strategy of ISO 12100: identify crushing zones, assess risks, select appropriate minimum gaps, and verify adequacy.
- Considers accessibility of crushing zones, anthropometry (including children and different ethnic groups), and technical/practical constraints.
- Selection and application
- Users select gaps from the standard’s Table 1 (body‑part related values) and apply the value for the largest body part at risk.
- If required gaps cannot be achieved, the standard mandates additional or alternative protective measures.
- Practical considerations
- Account for bulky clothing, tools, and thick‑soled footwear that increase effective body dimensions.
- Use of protective structures with restricted openings to prevent access of larger body parts is described; opening dimensions and distances relate to guidance in ISO 13857.
- Supporting material
- Annex A provides illustrations of crushing zones.
- Annex ZA links the standard to essential requirements of EU Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC.
Applications
Who uses EN ISO 13854 and why:
- Machine designers and manufacturers - to design guards and inter‑part clearances that prevent crushing injuries.
- Standards writers (type‑C standards) - to incorporate minimum‑gap requirements into machine‑specific safety standards.
- Health & safety bodies and regulators - to evaluate conformity and guide machine safety assessments.
- Employers and maintenance providers - to assess residual machine risks and decide on supplementary protections.
Practical uses include gap specification during design reviews, hazard assessments, conformity demonstrations under EU machinery regulations, and selection of guarding solutions when space constraints limit other safeguards.
Related standards
- ISO 12100 - General principles for design; risk assessment and reduction (iterative safety strategy).
- ISO 13857 - Safety distances to prevent access by upper and lower limbs (complements gap/opening guidance).
- EN ISO 13854 supersedes earlier EN 349:1993+A1:2008; consult the standard text for normative Table 1 values and detailed application rules.
Keywords: EN ISO 13854, ISO 13854, minimum gaps, safety of machinery, crushing hazards, machine design, guarding, risk assessment.
