Machinery Safety Information

What is the CE Mark?

The CE mark is a mandatory European marking for machinery and equipment to indicate conformity with the essential health and safety requirements set out in European Directives. To permit the use of a CE mark on a machine, proof that the item meets the relevant requirements must be documented. For most machinery manufacturers, this is usually achieved by a company-internal self-certification process.

The manufacturer of the machine has to issue a EC Declaration of Conformity (EC-DoC) indicating his identity (location, etc.), the list of European Directives he declares compliance with, a list of standards the product complies with, and a legally binding signature on behalf of the organization. The EC-DoC underlines the sole responsibility of the manufacturer to meet CE requirements.


The CE mark (officially CE marking) is a mandatory safety mark on many products placed on the single market in the European Economic Area (EEA). By affixing the CE marking, the manufacturer, or its authorized representative, assures that the machinery meets all the essential requirements of all applicable EU directives. There are about 25 Directives requiring CE marking. For machinery manufacturers, the most applicable directives are:

The Machinery Directive 2006/42/ECC

The Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/ECC

The EMC Directive 2014/30/ECC

Directives providing the requirements for the CE mark are created by the European Union (EU), but the markings are required throughout the European Economic Area (EEA), which also includes the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) members Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein, and in Turkey. Switzerland is the only nation that is part of the EFTA (or the EU), but not the EEA. The CE Mark is not compulsory in Switzerland.

What Must Manufacturers Do to Comply with CE?

In order to meet CE Mark requirements of the European Union, the machinery will need to comply with all relevant CE standards, which include a large number of written standards. These standards are "harmonized" for all of Europe.

For example, all electrical and controls on the machine will need to comply with EN 60204-1 Safety of Machinery: Electrical Equipment of Machines sets out the requirements for electrical equipment of machines to ensure that people using the machine are safe, control responses of the machine are consistent, and that the machine may easily be maintained throughout its lifetime.

As a second example, a Risk Assessment will need to be performed, per the requirements of ISO 12100 (2010) Safety of machinery - General principles for design - Risk assessment and risk reduction.

Where do I find the CE standards?

A full list of European Union standards that need to be met can be found here: European Commission's Machinery Directive


For a training class, held on-site at your facility, on how to properly CE Mark your Machinery, see: CE Marking of Machinery Training