This European Standard establishes values for safety distances to prevent access and distances to impede free access by the lower limbs of persons of 14 years of age and above. The values are based on practical experience which has been found to be adequate for this group of persons.
The distances apply when adequate safety can be achieved by distance alone and when access by the upper limbs is not foreseeable according to the risk assessment.
These distances will not provide sufficient protection against certain hazards, for example radiation and emission of substances. For such hazards additional or other measures can be necessary.
The safety distances to prevent access relate to openings and protect those persons trying to reach danger zones under the conditions specified for the different reaching situations. Sometimes a reasonably foreseeable approach to danger zones can occur while persons try to use a foot to clean out discharge and/or feed openings or operate pedestrian controlled machinery.This standard specifies safety distances to prevent access relating to openings and to protect those persons trying to reach danger zones for different reaching situations.
The distances to impede free access relate to the height up to the protective structure. Reducing risk to persons by limiting the free movement of the lower limbs is also specified.
In specifying safety distances to prevent access and distances to impede free access a number of aspects have to be taken into consideration, such as:
- reaching situations of the lower limbs occurring when machinery is being used
- anthropometric data taking into account ethnic groups likely to be found in European countries
- bio-mechanical facts, such as compression and stretching of parts of the human body and limits of joint rotation
- technical and practical aspects.
