CE certificates need to be reviewed before 29 December 2009

Manufacturers of aerial work platforms are being reminded that all existing CE Type Approval certificates for new machines need to be reviewed before 29 December this year as a consequence of the introduction of the latest version of the Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC) at the end of the year.

If certificates are not reviewed, the new machines covered by these certificates will not be able to be sold in Europe after 29th December, 2009. Machines already in service are unaffected, and those lifts in the distribution chain before the end of the year will still be able to be sold legally.

Paul Adorian, managing director of Powered Access Certification Ltd (PAC), an EC Notified Body that has carried out CE marking in Europe over the past 14 years, told Access International that although the major manufacturers were generally aware of and dealing with the issue, many smaller and medium sized suppliers were yet to have their certificates reviewed.

Mr Adorian estimated that around half of all the certificates issued by PAC since 1996 had still to be reviewed. "Some people still aren't getting the message", he said.

He told AI that for more recently introduced machines, the review of CE certificates may not have significant implications, but that may not be the case for older models that are still in production.

For more information, see www.pac.uk.com