Machinery

HSE Fines Power Plane Limited After Worker Maimed by Road Milling Machine

In May 2026, Aldershot Magistrates’ Court fined Power Plane Limited £92,450 plus costs after an HSE prosecution under PUWER 1998, following a 2024 incident in which a worker’s leg was amputated in a road milling machine. The case underlines that employers using mobile work equipment must ensure effective guarding and follow manufacturer instructions or face serious enforcement, financial penalties, and long-term operational and reputational risk.

15 May 2026, 13:41press.hse.gov.ukUnited Kingdom

Great Britain: OPSS Proposes Amendments to Designated Standards for Machinery, PPE and Explosive Atmospheres Equipment

In May 2026, the UK Office for Product Safety and Standards proposed amendments to the designated standards lists for machinery, personal protective equipment and equipment for explosive atmospheres, with the related notices of publication scheduled for early June 2026. Manufacturers and importers supplying these products into Great Britain should review the draft notices and consider any objections within the 28-day window, as the finalised standards will shape how they demonstrate conformity with GB product safety law going forward.

15 May 2026, 13:41gov.ukUnited Kingdom

Germany Adopts Third Ordinance Amending Equipment and Machinery Noise Protection Ordinance

Germany has adopted a third amendment to the Equipment and Machinery Noise Protection Ordinance, integrating new EU single-market emergency tools into national rules for noise-regulated outdoor equipment from late May 2026. This creates fast-track and exceptional conformity routes for designated crisis-relevant machines during future internal market emergencies, so manufacturers, notified bodies and market surveillance authorities must prepare for new labelling, documentation and prioritisation duties.

14 May 2026, 19:16recht.bund.deGermany

HSA And HSENI Launch All-Island Concrete Block-Making Safety Inspection Campaign

In May 2026, Irish and Northern Irish safety regulators launched a coordinated two-week inspection campaign targeting concrete block-making operations at high-risk quarries across the island. This signals intensified enforcement of machinery, vehicle and safe-systems-of-work controls in the sector, requiring operators to proactively manage HSE risks or face regulatory action.

10 May 2026, 18:47hsa.ieIrelandUnited Kingdom

UK OPSS Issues Product Safety Report on Machinery Automation Filling, Capping and Labeller Machines (2604-0064)

UK OPSS has issued a serious risk product safety report on Machinery Automation Ltd filling, capping and labeller packaging machines after finding electric shock and entrapment hazards. This notice signals closer scrutiny of packaging machinery safety and indicates that operators should work with the manufacturer on modifications rather than expect a straightforward recall, while reviewing controls for similar equipment.

9 May 2026, 13:36gov.ukUnited Kingdom

Great Britain Proposes Amendments to Designated Machinery Standards (Notice 0136/26)

The UK Department for Business and Trade has proposed updating the list of designated EN standards supporting the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008, adding new 2025 revisions across multiple C-type machinery standards and clarifying how two key standards confer presumption of conformity. If confirmed, manufacturers and importers placing machinery on the Great Britain market will need to align conformity assessment with the revised standards and transition away from superseded editions before they lose their presumption of conformity on 20 January 2027.

9 May 2026, 13:29assets.publishing.service.gov.ukUnited Kingdom

UK OPSS Proposes Updates To GB Designated Standards For Machinery And PPE

In May 2026, the UK Office for Product Safety and Standards proposed amending Great Britain’s designated standards for machinery and personal protective equipment, with notices of publication scheduled for early June after a short objection period. These changes will reset which standards manufacturers can rely on to demonstrate conformity under key GB product safety laws, so product, engineering and conformity teams should review the updated lists now and plan for both the new designations and the 2027 withdrawal of superseded machinery standards.

9 May 2026, 13:28gov.ukUnited Kingdom

Great Britain Publishes Proposals to Amend Designated Standards for Machinery and PPE

The UK government has published proposals to amend the Great Britain lists of designated standards for machinery and personal protective equipment, with updated notices planned to take effect in early June 2026. Companies relying on GB designated standards for machinery and PPE should review which EN standards are being added or withdrawn, prepare for the January 2027 phase-out of certain machinery standards, and decide whether to object or adjust product testing and certification plans.

9 May 2026, 13:25assets.publishing.service.gov.ukUnited Kingdom

Austria Launches Consultation on Binnenmarkt-Notfall- und Resilienzgesetz (BNRG) for Crisis-Relevant Goods

Austria has launched a consultation on the Binnenmarkt-Notfall- und Resilienzgesetz (BNRG), a new federal act implementing the EU internal market emergency and resilience framework for crisis-relevant goods, with comments due by 22 May 2026. If adopted, the law would enable accelerated or exceptional conformity assessment and reinforced market-surveillance powers for equipment such as machinery, lifts, pressure equipment and personal protective equipment during EU-declared internal market emergencies, requiring affected manufacturers and importers to adjust compliance planning and crisis preparedness.

5 May 2026, 15:48parlament.gv.atAustria

Japan MHLW Amends Industrial Safety Regulations Covering Cranes

Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has promulgated a ministerial ordinance in the Official Gazette amending industrial safety regulations, including provisions related to crane operations, under the Industrial Safety and Health framework. Companies operating cranes or otherwise covered by the Industrial Safety and Health Act should review the updated Japanese regulations promptly to identify any new workplace safety obligations and plan corresponding changes to procedures, equipment management, and training.

4 May 2026, 19:58kanpo.go.jpJapan

Maryland Enacts Agricultural Equipment Warranty Enforcement Act (HB1395)

Maryland has enacted HB1395 (Chapter 307), establishing an Agricultural Equipment Warranty Enforcement Act that imposes structured notice, repair, replacement and refund obligations on manufacturers and dealers of certain self-propelled farm equipment, with violations treated as unfair or deceptive practices from October 2026. This effectively creates a lemon-law-style warranty regime for agricultural machinery in the state, increasing warranty and consumer-protection exposure and requiring tighter claim tracking, dealer coordination and contract updates for covered equipment sold from January 2026 onward.

3 May 2026, 11:57mgaleg.maryland.govUnited States

UK OPSS Rejects Import of Jusfit Electric Chainsaw Over Fire Risk

On 24 April 2026 the UK Office for Product Safety and Standards published a product safety report rejecting import of a Jusfit electric chainsaw sold via eBay due to a serious fire risk linked to unsafe plug and earthing design. This case underlines that importers and online marketplaces must ensure electrical tools comply with UK electrical equipment and plug safety regulations or face border rejection and enforcement action.

29 Apr 2026, 18:16gov.ukUnited Kingdom

CJEU Rules On Emergency Stop Design For Woodworking Saws Under Directive 98/37/EC (Case C‑887/24)

In April 2026 the EU Court of Justice ruled that woodworking machines whose normal or emergency stop controls can be re-triggered to cancel braking and let blades spin on for minutes breach the essential safety requirements of the former Machinery Directive 98/37/EC. This judgment raises the bar for machinery conformity and liability by requiring manufacturers and importers to ensure stop devices remain fail-safe under foreseeable panic use, prompting design reviews of emergency-stop logic, braking systems, and user instructions across EU markets.

28 Apr 2026, 17:46eur-lex.europa.euEuropean Union

Romania Proposes Emergency Conformity Procedures for Machinery and ATEX Equipment

Romania is consulting on a draft Government Decision to amend its machinery and ATEX frameworks (HG 1029/2008 and HG 245/2016) to transpose Directive (EU) 2024/2749 and introduce emergency conformity assessment and market-surveillance procedures for crisis-relevant products from around 30 May 2026. For machinery and ATEX manufacturers, importers, and operators, this sets up a fast-track but more tightly controlled pathway for placing designated crisis goods on the market during internal market emergencies, while leaving normal obligations unchanged but signalling the need to prepare for future crisis designations.

27 Apr 2026, 18:40ces.roRomania

China Ministry of Emergency Management Seeks Comments on Draft Mandatory National Standard "Suspended Conveyor Safety Requirements"

China’s Ministry of Emergency Management has opened a consultation, closing 16 June 2026, on a draft mandatory national standard setting safety requirements for suspended conveyor systems. Manufacturers and operators using suspended conveyors in China should treat this as an early signal of future binding design and operational safety obligations and review the draft now to anticipate compliance changes.

26 Apr 2026, 16:47mem.gov.cnChina

UK DEFRA Confirms Final 2026 Farming Equipment And Technology Fund Round And Will Consider AI-Driven Safety Equipment From 2027

On 20 April 2026, the UK Government confirmed in Parliament that the 2026 Farming Equipment and Technology Fund round will be the final one under the current scheme and that it will review post‑2026 grant design, explicitly including the potential role of AI‑driven safety equipment. This signals a likely reshaping of farm equipment capital grants from 2027, with possible new funding opportunities for advanced safety technologies but no concrete scope, timelines, or eligibility criteria yet defined.

24 Apr 2026, 08:05questions-statements.parliament.ukUnited Kingdom

Ukraine Ministry of Economy Order No. 4945 Updates National Standards List for ATEX Equipment Technical Regulation

In April 2026, the Ukrainian Ministry of Economy adopted Order No. 4945 to update the list of national standards that can be used to demonstrate conformity with the Technical Regulation on equipment and protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres. Suppliers and certifiers of explosion-protected equipment into Ukraine should check which standards have been added or replaced in this list and adjust conformity assessment files, declarations, and certificates to remain aligned with the updated regulatory framework.

21 Apr 2026, 15:27me.gov.uaUkraine

UK OPSS Updates Guidance on Outdoor Equipment Noise Regulations

In April 2026 the UK Office for Product Safety and Standards updated its statutory guidance on outdoor equipment noise regulations, implementing new noise measurement methods, changing CE and UKCA marking options and removing some reporting requirements in Great Britain while aligning with earlier 2025 amendments and EU changes already applied in Northern Ireland. Manufacturers and importers of outdoor machinery now need to revise their noise testing, documentation and labelling processes in line with the 13 April 2026 start date and the 22 May 2028 transition deadline, or risk losing market access and facing enforcement across GB and NI.

17 Apr 2026, 18:37gov.ukUnited Kingdom

Alabama Legislature Enrols HB568 on Child Labor and Boiler/Elevator Safety

Alabama has enrolled HB568 and delivered it to the Governor, overhauling child labor penalties, boiler and pressure vessel exemptions and fees, and elevator safety rules, with a planned effective date of 1 October 2026 if the bill is signed. If enacted, facilities and employers in Alabama will need to reassess inspection responsibilities, modest new fees, and on-site-only elevator software changes, and tighten child labor compliance ahead of the new regime.

16 Apr 2026, 10:10alison.legislature.state.al.usUnited States

EU Council 4-Column Table On Digitalisation And Common Specifications For PPE, Machinery, Fertilising Products And Batteries Regulations

In March 2026, the Council circulated a four‑column negotiation table on horizontal Regulation 2025/0134(COD), which would digitalise declarations of conformity, instructions and contacts, and enable Commission common specifications across major product regulations for PPE, machinery, gas appliances, fertilising products, batteries and ecodesign. If adopted, this package will force manufacturers and importers to move to fully electronic compliance documentation and digital product passports, adapt to tighter accessibility and paper‑fallback rules, and prepare for a more centralised approach to technical specifications and conformity assessment timelines across the EU single market.

15 Apr 2026, 13:29data.consilium.europa.euEuropean Union