What is BS EN 12547 - Safety requirements for centrifuges about?
BS EN 12547 is a European standard that discusses the safety requirements for centrifuges. BS EN 12547 applies to centrifuges for the separation or change in concentration of mixtures of liquids and solids.
BS EN 12547 gives requirements to minimize the risks caused by the significant hazards arising during the operation of centrifuges.
BS EN 12547 gives requirements for minimizing the risks caused by the following hazards:
- Mechanical hazards common to all types of centrifuges, except those specified in 1.3
- Ergonomical hazards
- Thermal hazards
- Electrical hazards
- Noise
Types of centrifuges excluded:
- Centrifuges with a kinetic energy of rotation less than 200 J
- Centrifuges for household use
- Centrifuges for laboratory use according to EN 61010-2-020
- Centrifuges for forming, i.e., centrifugal hot metal casting machines
Note1: BS EN 12547 does not deal explicitly with the hazards listed below:
- Hazards caused by overpressure or negative pressure inside the centrifuge housing
- Hazards specific to processing radioactive products
- Hazards specific to microbiological processing - including viral and parasitic hazards
- Hazards from processing corrosive and/or erosive materials
- Hazards from processes involving flammable or explosive substances
- Hazards caused by leakage of hazardous substances
- Hazards caused by unsuitable hygienic design for applications involving food products
- Inherent chemical hazards of process materials and/or service media and their biological effects on exposed persons
Note2: Inherently hazardous substances include toxic, carcinogenic, and flammable substances for example. Other substances may be hazardous because of their condition in the centrifuge, i.e., temperature, velocity, and vapour pressure.
Who is BS EN 12547 - Safety requirements for centrifuges for?
BS EN 12547 on the safety requirements for centrifuges is useful for:
- Manufacturers of centrifuge
- Quality control personnel 
- Clinical research organizations 
- Investigators 
- Clinical research organizations   
Why should you use BS EN 12547 - Safety requirements for centrifuges?
A centrifuge is a device that uses centrifugal force to separate various components of a fluid. This is achieved by spinning the fluid at high speed within a container, thereby separating fluids of different densities or liquids from solids.
Manufacturers are required to collect, retain, and make available sufficient information, BS EN 12547 helps to enable centrifuges installation, commission, use, maintenance, and safe disposal, i.e., that information is made available to users of centrifuges.
As a user of BS EN 12547, you can be ensured of safety requirements and testing methods of centrifuges. With obedience and compliance to BS EN 12547, you can efficiently manufacture high-quality centrifuges. BS EN 12547 helps you to build consumer trust and confidence in the product. With BS EN 12547 you can ensure the safety of end-consumers against hazards and injuries.
What is changed since the last update?
BS EN 12547:2014 supersedes BS EN 12547:1999+A1:2009 which is withdrawn.
BS EN 12547:2014 includes some technical changes with respect to BS EN 12547:1999+A1:2009. These include:
- The references in the standard have been updated
- Thermal hazards have been included
- Text regarding integrity of the safety related parts of the control system has been further elaborated
- The order of the annexes has been changed and the list of hazards has been moved to the main body of the standard
