Machine building: risks, approach and impact

Scope of the sector

Many machines are imported into Europe through the Netherlands. The Netherlands is therefore an important transit hub. The machinery industry is also growing in the Netherlands itself. For most machines, the manufacturer itself assesses whether a machine meets all the requirements before placing it on the market.

Stricter conformity assessment procedures apply to the production of hazardous machinery. For certain hazardous machinery, the manufacturer must first have a European conformity assessment body (EU-CAB) assess whether the machine meets the requirements of the Machinery Directive. If it does, the manufacturer receives a type certificate showing that this type of machine meets all EU requirements. There are 153 EU-CABs in the European Economic Area that assess hazardous machinery, 6 of which are in the Netherlands.

Risks

The Netherlands Labour Authority monitors whether the system that safeguards machinery health and safety requirements functions properly in the Netherlands. The Netherlands Labour Authority identifies the following risks in that system:

Approach

Machinery inspections

The Netherlands Labour Authority examines whether a machine meets the requirements. It does this through product inspections at manufacturers and authorised representatives, after an accident, or when someone reports something to the Netherlands Labour Authority. If a machine proves not to meet the requirements, the manufacturer must modify this type of machine or withdraw it from the market. 

Checks at manufacturers

To place safe machines on the market, manufacturers need to have properly organised their business processes. The Netherlands Labour Authority carries out checks on this.

Border checks with Customs

Many machines enter the European market through the Netherlands. To prevent the import of machines that do not meet European requirements, the Netherlands Labour Authority works with Customs. The Netherlands Labour Authority carries out checks on the machines. If a checked consignment of machines does not meet the statutory requirements, the importer is given the opportunity in certain cases to modify them. Machines that still do not meet the statutory requirements after that are refused by Customs.

Investigation into how the system works

Several parties are involved in making machines, each with their own responsibilities. The Netherlands Labour Authority investigates how they perform their role. Among other things, it does so in response to reports it receives.

Providing information on regulations

To give machine designers, manufacturers and industry organisations, among others, greater clarity on how to interpret the European Machinery Directive, the Netherlands Labour Authority regularly provides information and gives lectures.

European cooperation

The Netherlands Labour Authority works with other countries to counter unfair competition and keep unsafe machines off the market. For example, it carries out joint actions together with supervisory authorities from other countries. If the Netherlands Labour Authority finds a machine that does not meet the statutory requirements, it also shares this with other countries through the European communication platform ICSMS. The Netherlands Labour Authority is also a member of the EU Product Compliance Network and the Administrative Cooperation Group (ADCO).

Impact

Investigation following reports

Each year, the Netherlands Labour Authority receives about 70 reports of unsafe machines, which it then investigates. Example:

• Following several accidents involving telehandlers fitted with personnel baskets (also known as work platforms), the Netherlands Labour Authority investigated the cause. Combining these 2 machines sometimes proved to be unsafe. In 2022, the Netherlands Labour Authority briefed European manufacturers about the risks. These accidents now only occur occasionally.
• In 2023, an employee fell from a straddle carrier. An investigation by the Netherlands Labour Authority found that the railing of the access platform did not meet the safety requirements. Following this investigation, the manufacturer modified the railings of 879 straddle carriers in the EU so that they meet the safety requirements.

Machinery inspections

Each year, the Labour Authority inspects various machines. Example:

• Pruning saws and chainsaws (2024)
  15 of the 33 checked types of machine did not meet the statutory requirements. This involved at least 23,650 machines. The companies received a warning and must stop trading in them until the violation has been remedied.
• Building maintenance units (2024)
  The Netherlands Labour Authority checked 24 types of building maintenance units (BMUs) at five manufacturers and four distributors. Four manufacturers were issued with a warning because the machine's risk assessment was incomplete.
• Mobile elevating work platforms (2025)
  Of the 95 checked types of mobile elevating work platforms, 54 did not meet the statutory requirements. This involved at least 371 machines.

Checks at manufacturers

In 2024, the Netherlands Labour Authority checked how 69 machinery manufacturers and importers had organised their business processes. It emerged that 55 percent were not yet following the correct procedures, or fully doing so, which creates a risk that they will place unsafe machines on the market. In 2025, the Netherlands Labour Authority checked whether they had improved these business processes and also checked the business processes at 31 other machine manufacturers.

Border checks with Customs

The Netherlands Labour Authority checks the import of machines. If something is not in order, it passes this on to Customs. In 2025, the import of 278 consignments of machines was checked. Half of these consignments did not meet the statutory requirements and were refused entry.

Investigation into EU-CABs

Manufacturers must first have some machines assessed to check whether they meet the statutory requirements. Even so, machines sometimes come onto the market that do not meet all requirements. The Netherlands Labour Authority has investigated (Dutch) the causes of this and what can be done to address it. The investigation findings were shared with the organisations concerned, which have started to act on them.

Providing information on regulations

• To clarify your obligations when modifying a machine, the Netherlands Labour Authority has drawn up the work instruction 'Assessing modified machinery' (Dutch). This is to ensure that modified machines can also meet all health and safety requirements. This work instruction has been coordinated at European level, so that other countries can also use it.
• The Netherlands Labour Authority regularly gives presentations at meetings of machinery manufacturers. One example is the Engineering Event Safety, a national event for machine builders.

European cooperation

The Netherlands Labour Authority carries out joint actions on the European market together with supervisory authorities from other countries:

• Circular saws (2023–2024)
  A total of 28 different types of hand-held circular saws were checked in ten countries. 29 percent of the hand-held circular saws did not meet the technical requirements. Of the 27 different types of table saws checked, 11 percent did not meet the technical requirements. More than half of the products inspected had information missing from the user manual. Read the news report
• Scissor lifts (2023–2024)
  43 different types of scissor lifts were checked in seven countries. None of these scissor lifts was completely in order: 25 types of machine had technical shortcomings, 37 types had incorrect markings on the machine, and 39 types had incomplete instructions for use. Read the news report