Mr Tim Rose of Loading Bay Lifts Ltd provides and update on the revision to the standard prEN 1570 1:2020 Safety requirements for lifting tables:

Due to the Covid pandemic, restrictions in physical meetings have delayed the progress of the publication of prEN1570-1 Safety requirements for lifting tables — Part 1: Lifting tables serving up to two fixed landings.

All comments have been received from the CEN Health and Safety Consultants and member states, and are currently being reviewed but physical meetings of the working group are still not possible.

Whilst on meetings are continuing on-line, an extension of 6 months has been granted to the deadline for submission which in turn will delay the final publication.

As it currently stands, the revisions to the standard are based mainly on the following points which are embedded throughout the document: –

• a wholesale restructure of the document
• the inclusion of lifting tables in non-industrial applications; Static Elevating Work Platforms (which fell into a gap between EN1570-1 & EN280) and lifting tables used in Skillet lines or Autonomous Ground Vehicles
• the ability to pass a fixed landing and to carry authorised persons when under operator control
• the introduction of rated and structural loads
• the replacement of EN 1570-1:2011+A1:2014, Table 3 – Lift installation safeguard requirements with new flow charts within Annex I – Guide to travel zone risks
• where appropriate, risk of falling is now associated with the height of fall rather than the travel height of the machine
• greater emphasis on protection of the public when the lifting tables are used in public accessible areas
• the reintroduction of boom barriers and clarity on interlocking and locking requirements for removable guardrails
• locking of the lift table when at an upper fixed landing
• the relaxation of overload monitoring limits due to the lack of appropriate state of the art equipment
• restrictions on the use of pipe rupture protection devices in hydraulic systems
• the introduction of rigid / pusher chains and the removal of pneumatic drives.

Note, that the prEN1570-1 as it stands does not take into consideration any revision of the Machinery Directive to the proposed EU Machinery Products Regulation. If this goes ahead, no machines in Annex IV (in particular art. 17 – Devices for the lifting of persons or of persons and goods involving a hazard of falling from a vertical height of more than three metres.) can be self-certified, as current, by being in full conformity with the proposed Harmonised Standard as the only route to compliance.

Please contact ALEM for any further updates on progress or content.