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What Do European Directives Say About Manuals
European directives are transposed into national legislation by all EU Member States. They set requirements for products as well as for the accompanying manuals. Under these directives, standards are applied. A standard describes how you can comply with a directive.
Directives are freely accessible via official EU sources. Standards, such as NEN-EN or ISO, are paid documents and provide practical guidance on how to meet the requirements of directives.
Example
Regulation (EU) 2016/426 on gas appliances contains safety requirements for gas-fired equipment. Associated standards, such as NEN-EN 203 for commercial catering gas appliances, describe how to meet these requirements technically.
The standard NEN 5509 User manuals specifies the minimum requirements for clarity and safety of manuals. The use of standards is not legally mandatory, but often provides a clear and practical interpretation of directives.
Key CE directives that include detailed requirements for manuals are:
- The Machinery Directive
- The EMC Directive
- The Low Voltage Directive
These directives are explained below.
The Machinery Directive
The Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC and the new Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 apply to products, such as:
- Machinery
- Interchangeable equipment
- Safety components
- Lifting accessories
- Chains, ropes and webbings
- Removable mechanical transmission devices
- Partly completed machinery
These products are subject to essential safety requirements. The manufacturer or importer must provide technical documentation and affix CE marking. This allows free movement within the European Economic Area.
(Note: A number of products are excluded from the Machinery Directive, such as fairground rides, weapons, seagoing vessels and most means of transport. Specific directives have been developed for these types of products. Refer to the directive for a complete overview of excluded machinery.)
The Machinery Directive sets extensive requirements for the user manual:
- The manual must be complete, accurate and clear
- Article 1.7.4.2 includes a detailed list of required content
- The manual must be written in at least one official EU language
- It must be translated into the language(s) of the country where the machine is used
- Maintenance instructions for specialised personnel may be provided in one language, provided it is understood
- The manual must clearly state whether it is the original instructions or a translation
Under the new Machinery Regulation, these requirements largely remain, but digital manuals are becoming increasingly important. Always verify which version applies to your product.
EMC Directive
The EMC Directive (2014/30/EU) regulates the electromagnetic compatibility of electrical and electronic equipment, systems and components. Its objective is that the product must not cause interference and must itself be resistant to interference.
The directive states, among other things, the following with regard to the manual:
- The manufacturer must provide information on specific precautions to be taken during assembly, installation, maintenance or use of the apparatus. This is to ensure that, when put into service, the apparatus complies with the protection requirements referred to in the directive.
- The information necessary to use the apparatus in accordance with its intended purpose must be included in the instructions accompanying the apparatus.
This information must be provided in a language that is easily understood by end users in the Member State where the apparatus is made available on the market.
Low Voltage Directive
The Low Voltage Directive (2014/35/EU) applies to electrical equipment with a nominal voltage of 50 to 1,000 V AC and 75 to 1,500 V DC.
The directive states:
- Essential safety characteristics must be indicated on the equipment or in the accompanying manual
- The manual must enable safe and intended use
- The language must be easily understood by users (typically the language of the country of use)
- An EU declaration of conformity must be provided
The directive does not specify detailed content requirements for manuals, but it does require essential safety information to be available.
Getting Started
European directives set clear requirements for manuals of machinery and electrical equipment. By applying the correct directives and standards, you ensure safety, clarity and legal compliance. Always use the latest directives and verify which standards apply to your product and target group.
Support from an Expert
Manualise is happy to support you in creating manuals that fully comply with European directives.