India introduces new technical regulation for machinery safety

On 28 September 2022, the Indian Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) published a draft omnibus technical regulation on the safety of machinery and electrical equipment. It will enter into force one year after its publication in the Official Gazette of India. The draft technical regulation affects a comprehensive range of machinery and equipment widely used in industrial applications. Compressors, cranes or pumps are examples of these.

 

Regulations offer companies new business opportunities

For a long time, industry has been requesting the new technical regulations. Adequate safety measures increase the safety of personnel and the environment. They also provide new business opportunities to organisations, particularly those in the machinery and plant engineering sectors. The Global Project Quality Infrastructure  (GPQI) has supported MHI and the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in preparation of  the technical regulation, in particular with providing information on the EU Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC as a reference.

 

GPQI provides support to BIS on machinery safety standards

GPQI promoted the exchange of knowledge between German and Indian experts on experiences and best practices on machinery safety based on the EU Machinery Directive. To this end, expert exchanges were held together with representatives of industry and BIS in July and September 2022. In addition, a delegation of BIS officers visited Festo India and Bharat Fritz Werner (BFW) in Bengaluru in September 2022. The experts exchanged views on the implementation of machinery safety standards and solutions. The activities were jointly organised with the German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau - VDMA).

 

Safety regulations largely comply with international standards

Following the adoption of the technical regulation, listed machinery and electrical equipment will require a licence from BIS to demonstrate compliance with the applicable Indian standards. A certificate of conformity must be obtained for products which are not manufactured on a continuous basis. The standards specified in the new regulation are predominantly in line with international standards.

 

Industry is invited to submit comments

Interested parties can submit comments on the draft regulation to the Indo-German Working Group on Quality Infrastructure until 25 December 2022. Do not hesitate to contact us, if you foresee any challenges with the implementation of the regulation or have other relevant comments.

 

The list of machinery and electrical equipment covered under the new regulation can be accessed here.