For a manufacturer based outside the European Union, achieving product conformity is only one part of entering the EU market. The supply chain also needs the correct economic operators, with clear responsibilities for documentation, traceability and communication with market-surveillance authorities. Two roles are frequently confused: the EU authorised representative and the importer. They can both be important to market access, but they are not interchangeable. An importer places a product...

Manufacturers designing equipment for chemical processing, oil and gas, food production, pharmaceutical manufacturing, mining and other industrial environments may need to consider an additional hazard during product development: the potential for an explosive atmosphere. Where equipment is intended for use in an environment containing flammable gases, vapours, mists or combustible dust, ATEX compliance may become an important part of the product conformity process. Determining that a product...

For machinery manufacturers, ISO 12100 provides a structured way to turn hazard knowledge into design decisions. This article focuses specifically on that methodology: defining machine limits, identifying hazardous situations, estimating and evaluating risk, selecting risk-reduction measures and documenting residual risk. The aim is not to repeat the complete CE marking process. Instead, this is the specialist risk-assessment guide within the wider machinery compliance content cluster. For...