International safety standards (ISO / IEC)

Need for International Standards

According to the TBT* Agreement, the standards of all WTO** member countries and territories must be aligned with international standards, such as ISO*** and IEC**** standards.
Application of the ISO/IEC requirements to machinery its conformity to the technical standards of each country.

*: The GATT Standards Code, which was determined through international agreement, was revised as the TBT Agreement and included in the WTO Agreement when the WTO was inaugurated in January 1995. The TBT Agreement is a packaged agreement that to all WTO member countries and territories. The TBT Agreement stipulates the principles for formulating domestic standards based on international standards, so that the standards and conformity assessment procedures (standards and certification systems), such as for industrial products, of each member country and territory do not become barriers to trade. It is an effort to minimize barriers to international trade (in other words, Technical Barriers to Trade) due to differences in regulations and standards in each country.

**: The WTO ( World Trade Organization) was established in January 1995 to replace GATT. It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and includes 164 member countries and territories as of December 2016. The WTO is an international organization that establishes rules (various agreements) so that each country can freely trade goods (things) and services. It provides a forum for trade negotiations between member countries in order to reduce or eliminate trade barriers. The WTO also has a system for resolving international trade disputes.

***: The official name of the ISO is the International Organization for Standardization. Made up of standardization bodies that represent each nation, the ISO prepares international standards for all industrial fields (such as mechanical, mining, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and management), except the fields of electrical and electronic technology.

- Headquarters (Central Secretariat): Geneva, Switzerland
- Number of members: 162 countries and territories
- Number of standards: 22,467 (as of December 2018)

****: The official name for the IEC is International Electrotechnical Commission. It is an international standardization organization that prepares and disseminates international standards in the fields of electrical and electronic technology.
- Headquarters (Central Secretariat): Geneva, Switzerland
- Number of members: 86 countries and territories
- Number of standards: 7,725 (as of January 2018)

System and Structure of International Standards

Based on ISO/IEC Guide 51 , international safety standards are classified as basic safety standards (Type-A Standards), group safety standards (Type-B Standards), and product safety standards (Type-C Standards).

- Basic safety standards (Type-A Standards): Consist of basic concepts, principles, and requirements for general safety aspects that are applicable to a wide range of products and systems.
- Group safety standards (Type-B Standards): Consist of safety aspects that are applicable to some products or systems, or to families of similar products or systems. The basic safety standards are cited to the extent possible.
- Product safety standards (Type-C Standards): Consist of safety aspects for a particular product or system, or for a family of products or systems. The basic safety standards and group safety standards are cited to the extent possible.

Although there is an overwhelming number of ISO and IEC standards, there are not necessarily separate standards for each individual machine.
It is virtually impossible to update the technical content of product safety standards as continuous advancements are made to products day by day.

Therefore, ISO/IEC standards are systematically divided into a hierarchical structure according to ISO/IEC Guide 51. By utilizing a combination of these standards, it is possible to support the latest machinery.

Safety Assessment Procedures

When designing machinery, it is first necessary to determine the applicable standards in order to perform a safety assessment. As described above, international safety standards are classified in a system of basic safety standards (Type-A Standards), group safety standards (Type-B Standards), and product safety standards (Type-C Standards). As a general rule, the Type-B Standards are based on the requirements of the Type-A Standards, and further stipulate safety requirements that are common to all machines, such as interlock, emergency stop, safe distance, and surface temperature. The Type-C Standards are based on the requirements of the Type-A Standards and Type-B Standards, and further stipulate specific safety requirements for individual machinery and equipment.

If the Type-C Standards are applicable to the target machinery and equipment, it is necessary to meet the safety requirements that are stipulated in the Type-C Standards. However, in reality, not all machines have Type-C Standards that are applicable. In addition, due to continuous improvements in the performance and diversification of machinery and equipment, the scope of application of the existing Type-C Standards might be exceeded.

In such cases, when there are no applicable Type-C Standards, or if a safety assessment using the existing Type-C Standards would be insufficient, it is necessary to perform a safety assessment based on the requirements of the Type-A Standards and the Type-B Standards.