prEN 619
(Main)Continuous handling equipment and systems - Safety requirements for equipment for mechanical handling of unit loads
- Abstract
This document deals with requirements for machine design, transport, installation, commissioning, operation, adjustment, maintenance and cleaning to minimize the hazards listed in Annex F. These hazards can arise during the operation and maintenance of continuous handling equipment and systems when carried out in accordance with the specifications given by the manufacturer or his authorized representative. This document deals with safety related technical verification during commissioning.
This document applies to mechanical handling devices as defined in Clause 3, singly or combined to form a conveyor system, and designed exclusively for moving unit loads continuously on a predefined route from the loading to the unloading points, possibly with varying speed or cyclically. In general, it also applies to conveyors which are built into machines or attached to machines if not stated otherwise in a machine specific standard.
Safety requirements and/or measures in this document apply to equipment used in all environments. However, additional risk assessments and safety measures need to be considered for uses in severe conditions, e.g.
- freezer applications,
- high temperatures,
- corrosive environments,
- strong magnetic fields,
- potentially explosive atmospheres,
- radioactive conditions and loads the nature of which could lead to a dangerous situation (e.g. molten metal, acids/bases, especially brittle loads, explosives),
- operation on ships and earthquake effects and
- contact with foodstuff.
This document does not cover hazards during decommissioning.
This document does not apply to conveying equipment and systems used underground or in public areas and to aircraft ground support equipment. In public areas only baggage carousels and check-in conveyors for airports are dealt with in this document.
NOTE Aircraft ground support equipment is covered by the standards of CEN/TC 274.
This document is not applicable to continuous handling equipment and systems manufactured before the date of its publication.
- Status
- Not Published
- Publication Date
- 23-Apr-2028
- Technical Committee
- CEN/TC 148 - Continuous handling equipment and systems - Safety
- Current Stage
- 4010 - Start of draft translation - Enquiry
- Start Date
- 26-Aug-2026
- Completion Date
- 23-Jul-2026
prEN 619 is a CEN draft European Standard for the safety of continuous handling equipment and systems used for mechanical handling of unit loads. It sets requirements for design, transport, installation, commissioning, operation, adjustment, maintenance and cleaning, and it includes safety-related technical verification during commissioning. The standard is intended for designers, manufacturers, installers, operators and maintenance teams working with conveyors and related handling devices.
What does prEN 619 specify?
prEN 619 specifies safety requirements for mechanical handling devices, alone or combined as a conveyor system, when they are designed exclusively to move unit loads continuously on a predefined route between loading and unloading points. It also applies in general to conveyors built into machines or attached to machines, unless a machine-specific standard says otherwise.
The scope focuses on hazards created during normal use and maintenance when the equipment is used according to the manufacturer’s instructions. It also allows for extra risk assessment and extra protective measures in severe conditions such as freezer use, high temperature, corrosive atmospheres, strong magnetic fields, potentially explosive atmospheres, radioactive conditions, shipboard operation, earthquake effects and contact with foodstuff.
The document applies to all environments, but it limits some uses: it does not cover decommissioning hazards, underground conveying equipment, most equipment in public areas, or aircraft ground support equipment. In public areas, it covers only baggage carousels and check-in conveyors for airports. It is also not applicable to continuous handling equipment and systems manufactured before publication.
The document is organized into Clauses 1 to 6, followed by product- and case-specific annexes.
| Annex | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Annex A | Telescopic conveyors and boom conveyors |
| Annex B | Overhead conveyors and related working and maintenance arrangements |
| Annex C | Transfer cars (T-cars), including guarded, onboard-operated and unguarded cases |
| Annex D | Vertical transfer devices (VTDs) |
| Annex E | Horizontal transfer devices, including turntables and pushers |
| Annex F | Sorters |
| Annex G | Conveyors in public areas of airports |
| Annex H | Noise measurement, reporting and declaration |
| Annex K | Examples of mechanical hazards |
| Annex L | Significant hazards and the clauses that address them |
What are the key requirements of prEN 619?
prEN 619 is mainly a risk-reduction standard. Clause 4 sets the safety measures, Clause 5 says how to verify them, and Clause 6 says what information and marking the user must receive. The practical goal is to prevent access to hazard zones, control movement safely, and make commissioning and maintenance predictable.
Area concept, access control and guarding
Clause 4.1 defines the area concept: working place, traffic area, restricted area and danger area. This matters because the required protection depends on where people are expected to stand, pass or work. In practice, the designer must separate normal operator locations from maintenance-only zones and from places where moving loads or machine parts can expose people to danger.
Clause 4.2 then requires protection against moving parts, unintended movement, overturning, falling or ejected objects, sharp edges, crushing and shearing, drawing-in points, entanglement points and movement-related impact hazards. The standard uses guards, interlocking devices, sensitive protective devices and speed limitation to keep people away from moving hazards.
For entry and exit points, the document requires measures that stop people reaching danger areas across or beside the conveyor. That includes physical guarding, tunnels, mechanical guards, nets, roof-type profiles and separating plates, depending on the geometry. This is important because many conveyor risks arise where people try to cross a line, step between tracks or reach over the moving route.
Electrical, control, hydraulic, pneumatic, thermal and noise safety
Clauses 4.3 to 4.9 cover the non-mechanical hazards. They address electrical equipment, means of disconnection, IP degree of protection, safety of control systems, EMC, electrostatic charges, hydraulic and pneumatic systems, isolation and energy dissipation, thermal hazards and noise reduction at design stage.
In practice, this means the machine builder has to choose safe electrical and fluid-power components, provide reliable disconnection, control electromagnetic disturbance, and reduce hot-surface and noise risks as part of the design. The standard also links many functions to safety-related parts of control systems and uses performance level (PL) or required performance level (PLr) requirements in Clause 4.21.
Maintenance, access, start-stop and emergency functions
Clause 4.10 and Clause 4.11 cover means of access, crossover passageways, maintenance access, suspension of safeguarding and lighting. Clause 4.12 and Clause 4.13 cover transport and lifting of machines or plant parts. Clause 4.14 adds ergonomic design requirements.
Clauses 4.16 to 4.19 cover start and restart, stop functions and stop control devices, emergency stopping, and failure of the power supply. These clauses matter because maintenance and recovery work must not create unexpected starts or uncontrolled motion.
Product-specific conveyor families
Clause 4.20 and Annexes A to G add extra requirements for specific conveyor families. The document treats telescopic conveyors, overhead conveyors, transfer cars, vertical transfer devices, horizontal transfer devices, sorters and airport conveyors as distinct cases because each one creates different access, crushing, falling or control hazards.
For example, the annexes add provisions for:
- telescopic conveyors and boom conveyors in Annex A
- overhead conveyor working places, lifting elements, maintenance vehicles and sorter systems in Annex B
- transfer car guarding, person detection, collision avoidance and onboard or pedestrian control in Annex C
- VTD access, clearances, overload protection, falling carriage protection and load tests in Annex D
- turntables and pushers in Annex E
- sorter induct points, manual infeed positions, service vehicles and chutes in Annex F
- manned check-in, self-check-in and reclaim conveyors in Annex G
Verification and user information
Clause 5 requires verification by visual inspection, measurement, functional test, calculation and EMC tests. This is the part a manufacturer or commissioning team uses to show that the selected guards, sensors, speeds, distances and control functions really work on the installed machine.
Clause 6 requires an instruction handbook, rescue and evacuation instructions, and marking. It also covers rating plates, load and carrying-capacity marking, warning and prohibition signs, hydraulic fluid reservoir marking, couplings in hydraulic or pneumatic systems, crossings and floor marking for pouch sorters.
What terms does prEN 619 define?
prEN 619 defines the spaces and machine types that drive the safety measures.
- Working place - the place where operators work directly at a conveyor; loading and unloading points for lift trucks are excluded from this term.
- Traffic area - an area accessible without opening or removing a guard or activating a safety device.
- Restricted area - an enclosed area where only qualified persons may enter for maintenance, troubleshooting and repair.
- Danger area - the area where persons can be exposed to danger during machine operation.
- Unit load - a single item, a number of items, or bulk material arranged and restrained so it can be moved as one mass.
- Vertical transfer device (VTD) - a device with raising or lowering movement of more than 200 mm in the conveyor path, transferring unit loads between defined levels by a lifting carriage.
- Sorter - a device that inducts and discharges unit loads to multiple defined destinations.
- Mobile conveyor - a conveyor with wheels that can be moved by hand on the floor.
Who uses prEN 619?
prEN 619 is used by conveyor designers, machine builders and system integrators when they design guarding, controls, access means and conveyor layouts. It is also used by commissioning engineers, maintenance teams and safety specialists when they verify that the installed equipment matches the intended protective measures.
Buyers, quality managers and operators use prEN 619 to define safety expectations for warehouse, distribution, baggage-handling and other continuous handling installations. Airport baggage systems are a specific use case covered by the document for public areas.
What changed in prEN 619 from the previous edition?
prEN 619 will supersede EN 619:2022.
Which standards are used with prEN 619?
prEN 619 relies on a broad set of referenced standards for risk assessment, guarding, control systems, access, noise, EMC, fluid power and signs.
| Reference | What it contributes |
|---|---|
| EN ISO 12100 | General principles for risk assessment and risk reduction |
| EN ISO 13849-1 | Design of safety-related parts of control systems |
| EN ISO 13855 | Positioning safeguards with respect to human approach |
| EN ISO 14119 | Interlocking devices associated with guards |
| EN ISO 14120 | General requirements for guard design and construction |
| EN ISO 13857 | Safety distances to prevent reach into hazard zones |
| EN IEC 61496-1, -2, -3 | ESPE requirements and tests, including AOPD and AOPDDR |
| EN IEC 61000-6-2 | EMC immunity for industrial environments |
| EN IEC 61800-1, -2 | Adjustable speed drive system requirements |
| EN ISO 4413, EN ISO 4414 | Safety requirements for hydraulic and pneumatic systems |
| EN ISO 11201, EN ISO 4871 | Noise emission measurement and declaration |
| EN ISO 14122-1 to -4 | Permanent means of access to machinery |
| EN ISO 7010, EN ISO 7731 | Safety signs and auditory danger signals |
| EN 341, EN 795 | Rescue descenders and anchor devices |
| EN 528, EN ISO 3691-4 | Related conveyor and driverless truck safety references |
| EN ISO 8100-1, ISO 4309 | Lift safety and wire-rope care and discard where relevant to the installation |
| EN 842, EN 1837, EN ISO 3266 | Visual danger signals, integral lighting and lifting hardware references |
What does the prEN 619 document contain?
prEN 619 contains a full clause structure for scope, references, terms, safety requirements, verification and information for use. It also contains many figures showing hazard zones, guarding arrangements, conveyor types, access arrangements and test set-ups.
Annex H gives the noise test code, including measurement positions, operating conditions, reporting items and an example of a noise declaration. Annex D includes static and dynamic load testing for vertical transfer devices, and Annex C includes test arrangements for safety measures on transfer cars. Annex F and Annex G show the practical arrangements for sorters and airport conveyors, including induction points, manual infeed positions, service vehicles, check-in conveyors and reclaim conveyors.
Annex K illustrates representative mechanical hazards such as crushing, shearing, drawing-in and falling hazards. Annex L lists the significant hazards covered by the standard and links them to the clauses that address them, which helps a designer or auditor trace each hazard to the relevant protection measure.
Relations
- Effective Date
- 21-May-2025
Frequently Asked Questions
prEN 619 is a draft published by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN). Its full title is "Continuous handling equipment and systems - Safety requirements for equipment for mechanical handling of unit loads". This standard covers: This document deals with requirements for machine design, transport, installation, commissioning, operation, adjustment, maintenance and cleaning to minimize the hazards listed in Annex F. These hazards can arise during the operation and maintenance of continuous handling equipment and systems when carried out in accordance with the specifications given by the manufacturer or his authorized representative. This document deals with safety related technical verification during commissioning. This document applies to mechanical handling devices as defined in Clause 3, singly or combined to form a conveyor system, and designed exclusively for moving unit loads continuously on a predefined route from the loading to the unloading points, possibly with varying speed or cyclically. In general, it also applies to conveyors which are built into machines or attached to machines if not stated otherwise in a machine specific standard. Safety requirements and/or measures in this document apply to equipment used in all environments. However, additional risk assessments and safety measures need to be considered for uses in severe conditions, e.g. - freezer applications, - high temperatures, - corrosive environments, - strong magnetic fields, - potentially explosive atmospheres, - radioactive conditions and loads the nature of which could lead to a dangerous situation (e.g. molten metal, acids/bases, especially brittle loads, explosives), - operation on ships and earthquake effects and - contact with foodstuff. This document does not cover hazards during decommissioning. This document does not apply to conveying equipment and systems used underground or in public areas and to aircraft ground support equipment. In public areas only baggage carousels and check-in conveyors for airports are dealt with in this document. NOTE Aircraft ground support equipment is covered by the standards of CEN/TC 274. This document is not applicable to continuous handling equipment and systems manufactured before the date of its publication.
This document deals with requirements for machine design, transport, installation, commissioning, operation, adjustment, maintenance and cleaning to minimize the hazards listed in Annex F. These hazards can arise during the operation and maintenance of continuous handling equipment and systems when carried out in accordance with the specifications given by the manufacturer or his authorized representative. This document deals with safety related technical verification during commissioning. This document applies to mechanical handling devices as defined in Clause 3, singly or combined to form a conveyor system, and designed exclusively for moving unit loads continuously on a predefined route from the loading to the unloading points, possibly with varying speed or cyclically. In general, it also applies to conveyors which are built into machines or attached to machines if not stated otherwise in a machine specific standard. Safety requirements and/or measures in this document apply to equipment used in all environments. However, additional risk assessments and safety measures need to be considered for uses in severe conditions, e.g. - freezer applications, - high temperatures, - corrosive environments, - strong magnetic fields, - potentially explosive atmospheres, - radioactive conditions and loads the nature of which could lead to a dangerous situation (e.g. molten metal, acids/bases, especially brittle loads, explosives), - operation on ships and earthquake effects and - contact with foodstuff. This document does not cover hazards during decommissioning. This document does not apply to conveying equipment and systems used underground or in public areas and to aircraft ground support equipment. In public areas only baggage carousels and check-in conveyors for airports are dealt with in this document. NOTE Aircraft ground support equipment is covered by the standards of CEN/TC 274. This document is not applicable to continuous handling equipment and systems manufactured before the date of its publication.
prEN 619 is classified under the following ICS (International Classification for Standards) categories: 53.040.10 - Conveyors. The ICS classification helps identify the subject area and facilitates finding related standards.
prEN 619 has the following relationships with other standards: It is inter standard links to EN 619:2022. Understanding these relationships helps ensure you are using the most current and applicable version of the standard.
prEN 619 is associated with the following European legislation: EU Directives/Regulations: 2023/1230; Standardization Mandates: M/605. When a standard is cited in the Official Journal of the European Union, products manufactured in conformity with it benefit from a presumption of conformity with the essential requirements of the corresponding EU directive or regulation.
prEN 619 is available in PDF format for immediate download after purchase. The document can be added to your cart and obtained through the secure checkout process. Digital delivery ensures instant access to the complete standard document.
Standards Content (Sample)
SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-oktober-2026
Naprave in sistemi za kontinuirni transport - Varnostne zahteve za opremo za
kontinuirni transport kosovnih tovorov
Continuous handling equipment and systems - Safety requirements for equipment for
mechanical handling of unit loads
Stetigförderer und Systeme - Sicherheitsanforderungen an mechanische
Fördereinrichtungen für Stückgut
Équipements et systèmes de manutention continue - Prescriptions de sécurité pour les
équipements de manutention mécanique des charges isolées
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN 619
ICS:
53.040.10 Transporterji Conveyors
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.
DRAFT
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
October 2026
ICS 53.040.10 Will supersede EN 619:2022
English Version
Continuous handling equipment and systems - Safety
requirements for equipment for mechanical handling of
unit loads
Équipements et systèmes de manutention continue - Stetigförderer und Systeme -
Prescriptions de sécurité pour les équipements de Sicherheitsanforderungen an mechanische
manutention mécanique des charges isolées Fördereinrichtungen für Stückgut
This draft European Standard is submitted to CEN members for enquiry. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee
CEN/TC 148.
If this draft becomes a European Standard, CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations
which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.
This draft European Standard was established by CEN in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other
language made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
Recipients of this draft are invited to submit, with their comments, notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are
aware and to provide supporting documentation.
Warning : This document is not a European Standard. It is distributed for review and comments. It is subject to change without
notice and shall not be referred to as a European Standard.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2026 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. prEN 619:2026 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.
Contents Page
European foreword . 6
Introduction . 8
1 Scope . 9
2 Normative references . 10
3 Terms, definitions and abbreviations . 12
3.1 General. 12
3.2 Terms and definitions . 13
3.3 Abbreviations . 20
4 Safety requirements and/or protective/risk reduction measures . 20
4.1 General. 20
4.1.1 Area concept . 20
4.1.2 Restricted area . 20
4.1.3 Working places . 21
4.1.4 Traffic area . 21
4.1.5 Danger area . 21
4.2 Protection against mechanical hazards . 22
4.2.1 General requirements for protection against moving parts . 22
4.2.2 Conveyors in assembly-lines on which persons may travel in horizontal direction . 38
4.2.3 Measures for protection against unintended movement . 38
4.2.4 Strength calculation . 39
4.2.5 Stability against overturning for mobile conveyors . 39
4.2.6 Protection against falling or ejected objects . 39
4.2.7 Prevention of sharp edges, sharp angles and rough surfaces. 39
4.2.8 Preventing access to danger areas across the load entry/exit points or stopping the
dangerous movement . 39
4.2.9 Preventing access across the load entry/exit points to restricted areas . 52
4.2.10 Requirements for separating plates, nets, roof type profiles and sloping plates . 53
4.3 Measures for protection against electrical hazards . 56
4.3.1 Electrical equipment. 56
4.3.2 Means of disconnection . 56
4.3.3 IP-Degree of protection . 56
4.3.4 Safety related to Protection against corruption . 57
4.3.5 Safety and reliability of control systems . 57
4.4 Safety requirements related to EMC . 57
4.5 Electrostatic charges. 57
4.6 Hydraulic and pneumatic systems and equipment . 58
4.6.1 Hydraulics. 58
4.6.2 Pneumatics . 58
4.7 Measures for isolation and energy dissipation . 58
4.8 Protection against thermal hazards . 58
4.9 Noise reduction at design stage . 58
4.10 Means of access . 59
4.10.1 General. 59
4.10.2 Cross over passageways . 59
4.11 Provisions for maintenance . 62
4.11.1 General. 62
4.11.2 Suspension of safeguarding . 62
4.11.3 Lighting . 63
4.12 Transport of machines . 64
4.13 Lifting of machines or parts of the plant . 64
4.14 Ergonomic requirements in machine design . 64
4.15 Control devices . 65
4.16 Start and restart function . 65
4.17 Stop functions and stop control devices . 66
4.18 Emergency stopping . 66
4.19 Risks of Failure of the power supply . 68
4.20 Particular/additional requirements for specific conveyors . 68
4.20.1 Vertical switch conveyors . 68
4.20.2 Crushing and shearing points between conveyors and conveyed unit loads . 68
4.20.3 Nip points on belt driven roller conveyors . 69
4.20.4 Plate conveyors . 69
4.20.5 Underfloor chain conveyors . 69
4.20.6 Telescopic conveyors (boom conveyors) . 70
4.20.7 Rail bound conveyors . 70
4.20.8 Overhead conveyors . 71
4.20.9 Transfer cars (T-cars) . 71
4.20.10 Destination Coded Vehicle – systems and rail-guided floor track conveyors . 71
4.20.11 Vertical transfer devices. 71
4.20.12 Horizontal transfer devices . 71
4.20.13 Sorters . 71
4.20.14 Conveyors in public areas of airports . 71
4.21 Safety related parts of control systems/performance level . 71
5 Verification of safety requirements and/or protective/risk reduction measures . 78
5.1 General . 78
5.2 Visual inspections . 79
5.3 Measurements . 79
5.4 Functional test . 79
5.5 Calculation . 79
5.6 EMC-Tests in relation to the Machinery Directive . 79
6 Information for use . 90
6.1 Instruction handbook . 90
6.1.1 General . 90
6.1.2 Instructions for the installation of the equipment . 91
6.1.3 Instructions for the use of the equipment . 91
6.1.4 Instructions for maintenance . 92
6.1.5 Training . 93
6.1.6 Remaining underneath loads . 93
6.1.7 Instruction handbook for vertical transfer devices . 93
6.1.8 Hazards generated by conveyed loads . 93
6.1.9 Noise emission declaration . 93
6.1.10 Rescue of persons . 93
6.2 Instructions for rescue and evacuation . 94
6.3 Marking . 94
6.3.1 Rating plate . 94
6.3.2 Carrying capacity for machines lifting persons . 94
6.3.3 Load bearing capacity . 94
6.3.4 Sign at vertical transfer devices . 94
6.3.5 Marking of hydraulic fluid reservoirs . 94
6.3.6 Marking of couplings in hydraulic or pneumatic systems . 95
6.3.7 Prohibition sign for unauthorised persons . 95
6.3.8 Sign “No thoroughfare” . 95
6.3.9 Marking of crossings . 96
6.3.10 Floor marking for pouch sorters . 96
Annex A (normative) Telescopic conveyors (boom conveyors) . 97
A.1 Telescopic conveyors (boom conveyors) . 97
Annex B (normative) Overhead conveyors . 100
B.1 General. 100
B.2 Safety distances for overhead conveyors . 100
B.3 Safety distances for overhead conveyors in restricted areas . 102
B.4 Working places under, on or at overhead conveyors . 102
B.5 Rollers of overhead conveyors. 105
B.6 Dimensioning of track, steelwork and carrier . 105
B.7 Interruptions of tracks of overhead conveyors . 105
B.8 Load securing . 105
B.9 Transfer devices of overhead conveyors . 106
B.10 Maintenance vehicles for overhead conveyors . 106
B.11 Maintenance requirements for self-propelled overhead conveyors . 106
B.12 Pouch sorter and garment on hanger sorter systems . 106
Annex C (normative) Transfer cars (T-cars) . 113
C.1 Transfer Cars . 113
C.2 Safety requirements for transfer cars which are used, primarily but not only, to transport
piles of corrugated board between conveyors and conveyors or machine on pre-defined
paths . 120
Annex D (normative) Vertical transfer devices (VTD) . 121
D.1 Access to vertical transfer device (VTD) . 121
D.2 Preventing access from the working place and traffic area to the danger area of vertical
transfer devices . 123
D.3 Preventing access from the restricted area to the danger area of a vertical transfer device
.......................................................................................................................................................................... 123
D.4 Safety clearances in vertical transfer devices . 124
D.5 Falling of lifting carriage or counterweight of vertical transfer devices above working
places, traffic area and restricted area . 124
D.6 Falling of lifting carriage or counterweight of vertical transfer devices on storey floors125
D.7 Switching off for vertical transfer devices . 125
D.8 Lowering speed for hydraulic and pneumatic powered vertical transfer devices . 125
D.9 Overload protection system of vertical transfer devices . 125
D.10 Vertical transfer device where riding on the lifting carriage is intended . 125
D.11 Vertical transfer devices where standing on and/or under the lifting carriage is intended
.......................................................................................................................................................................... 126
D.12 Slackness of rope, belt or chain . 127
D.13 Circulating conveyor – protective measures . 127
D.14 Testing . 127
D.15 Hoisting components of vertical transfer devices . 129
Annex E (normative) Horizontal transfer devices . 130
E.1 Turntable (turning the conveyor) . 130
E.2 Pushers . 131
Annex F (normative) Sorters . 135
F.1 General . 135
F.2 Safety measures at induct points . 137
F.3 Safety measures for manual infeed positions . 138
F.4 Safety measures for the use of service vehicles for loop-sorters . 139
F.5 Chutes at sorters . 139
Annex G (normative) Conveyors in public areas of airports . 141
G.1 General . 141
G.2 Manned check-in conveyors . 141
G.3 Self-check-in conveyors . 142
G.4 Reclaim conveyors . 142
Annex H (normative) Noise test code . 143
H.1 General . 143
H.2 Determination of A-weighted emission sound pressure level . 143
H.3 Measurement positions . 144
H.4 Operating conditions during measurements . 148
H.5 Information to be recorded . 148
H.6 Information to be reported . 148
H.7 Noise emission declaration . 148
H.8 Example of a dual-number noise declaration for a vertical transfer device in the
instructions and in the sales literature providing performance data of the equipment. 149
Annex I (normative) Maximum speed for risk due to movement of unit loads . 151
Annex J (informative) Examples of continuous handling equipment . 157
Annex K (informative) Examples of mechanical hazards. 176
Annex L (informative) List of significant hazards . 180
Annex ZA (informative) Relationship between this European Standard and the essential
requirements of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 aimed to be covered . 184
Bibliography . 192
European foreword
This document (prEN 619:2026) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 148 “Continuous
handling equipment and systems - Safety”, the secretariat of which is held by AFNOR.
This document is currently submitted to the CEN Enquiry.
This document supersedes EN 619:2022.
This document has been prepared under a standardization request addressed to [the relevant ESO] by
the European Commission. The Standing Committee of the EFTA States subsequently approves these
requests for its Member States.
For the relationship with EU Legislation, see informative Annex ZA, which is an integral part of this
document.
This document forms part of a series of five standards the titles of which are given below:
— EN 617, Continuous handling equipment and systems — Safety and EMC requirements for the
equipment for the storage of bulk materials in silos, bunkers, bins and hoppers;
— EN 618, Continuous handling equipment and systems — Safety and EMC requirements for
equipment for mechanical handling of bulk materials except fixed belt conveyors;
— EN 619, Continuous handling equipment and systems — Safety requirements for equipment for
mechanical handling of unit loads;
— EN 620, Continuous handling equipment and systems — Safety requirements for fixed belt
conveyors for bulk material;
— EN 741, Continuous handling equipment and systems — Safety requirements for systems and their
components for pneumatic handling of bulk materials.
Significant technical changes between this document and EN 619:2022 are the following:
1) changed structure;
2) extension of Scope: pouch sorter, garment on hanger sorter;
3) more detailed information about area concept;
4) the maximum speeds depending on the mass and on the different areas has been specified;
5) requirements for noise reduction and measurement and declaration of noise emission (addition of a
noise test code);
6) list of required performance levels for safety related parts of control systems; different performance
levels for different applications;
7) verification of safety requirements and/or measures has been improved;
8) figures were relocated within text;
9) safety requirements/measures for the single types of conveyors have been described more detailed;
10) longer parts of subclause 4.20 became own Annexes.
Introduction
This document is a type-C standard as stated in EN ISO 12100:2010.
This document is of relevance, in particular, for the following stakeholder groups representing the market
players with regard to machinery safety:
— machine manufacturers (small, medium and large enterprises);
— health and safety bodies (regulators, accident prevention organizations, market surveillance, etc.).
Others can be affected by the level of machinery safety achieved with the means of the document by the
above-mentioned stakeholder groups:
— machine users/employers (small, medium and large enterprises);
— machine users/employees (e.g. trade unions, organizations for people with special needs);
— service providers, e.g. for maintenance (small, medium and large enterprises);
— consumers (in case of machinery intended for use by consumers).
The above-mentioned stakeholder groups have been given the possibility to participate at the drafting
process of this document.
The machinery concerned and the extent to which hazards, hazardous situations or hazardous events are
covered are indicated in the Scope of this document.
When requirements of this type-C standard are different from those which are stated in type-A or type-B
standards, the requirements of this type-C standard take precedence over the requirements of the other
standards for machines that have been designed and built according to the requirements of this type-C
standard.
If a machine, which was produced under a different standard and is brought into a conveyor system, the
complete system, including this new machine, should comply with EN 619.
1 Scope
This document deals with requirements for continuous handling equipment and systems for unit loads
as well as design, transport, installation, commissioning, operation, adjustment, maintenance and
cleaning to minimize the hazards listed in Annex L. These hazards can arise during the operation and
maintenance of continuous handling equipment and systems when carried out in accordance with the
specifications given by the manufacturer or his authorized representative. This document deals with
safety related technical verification during commissioning.
In the following continuous handling equipment and systems for unit loads are called
“machine(s)/machinery”.
In public areas, only baggage carousels and check-in conveyors for airports are dealt with in this
document.
NOTE Aircraft ground support equipment is covered by the standards of CEN/TC 274. This document applies
to mechanical handling devices as defined in Clause 3, stand-alone or combined to form a conveyor system, and
designed exclusively for moving unit loads continuously on predefined routes from the loading to the unloading
points, possibly with varying speed or cyclically. It applies to all conveyor systems and the mechanical handling
aspects of machinery only.
Safety requirements and/or measures in this document apply to equipment used in all environments.
However, additional risk assessments and safety measures can be considered for uses in severe
conditions, e.g.:
— reezer applications;
— high temperatures;
— corrosive environments;
— strong magnetic fields;
— potentially explosive atmospheres;
— radioactive conditions and loads the nature of which could lead to a dangerous situation (e.g. molten
metal, acids/bases, especially brittle loads, explosives);
— operation on ships;
— earthquake effects; and
— contact with foodstuff.
This document does not cover:
— hazards during decommissioning;
— conveying equipment and systems used underground or in public areas and to aircraft ground
support equipment;
— continuous handling equipment and/or systems manufactured before the date of its publication.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
EN 341:2011, Personal fall protection equipment — Descender devices for rescue
EN 614-1:2006+A1:2009, Safety of machinery — Ergonomic design principles — Part 1: Terminology and
general principles
EN 528:2021+A1:2022, Rail dependent storage and retrieval equipment — Safety requirements for S/R
machines
EN 795:2012, Personal fall protection equipment — Anchor devices
EN 547-1:1996+A1:2008, Safety of machinery — Human body measurements — Part 1: Principles for
determining the dimensions required for openings for whole body access into machinery
EN 547-2:1996+A1:2008, Safety of machinery — Human body measurements — Part 2: Principles for
determining the dimensions required for access openings
EN 842:1996+A1:2008, Safety of machinery — Visual danger signals — General requirements, design and
testing
EN 1837:2020, Safety of machinery — Integral lighting of machines
EN IEC 61000-6-2:2019, Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) — Part 6-2: Generic standards — Immunity
standard for industrial environments (IEC 61000-6-2:2016)
EN IEC 61496-1:2020, Safety of machinery — Electro-sensitive protective equipment — Part 1: General
requirements and tests (IEC 61496-1:2020)
EN IEC 61496-2:2020, Safety of machinery — Electro-sensitive protective equipment — Part 2: Particular
requirements for equipment using active opto-electronic protective devices (AOPDs) (IEC 61496-2:2020)
EN IEC 61496-3:2019, Safety of machinery — Electro-sensitive protective equipment — Part 3: Particular
requirements for active opto-electronic protective devices responsive to diffuse Reflection (AOPDDR)
(IEC 61496-3:2018)
EN IEC 61800-1:2021, Adjustable speed electrical power drive systems — Part 1: General requirements —
Rating specifications for low voltage adjustable speed DC power drive systems (IEC 61800-1:2021)
EN IEC 61800-2:2021, Adjustable speed electrical power drive systems — Part 2: General requirements —
Rating specifications for adjustable speed AC power drive systems (IEC 61800-2:2021)
EN IEC 60947-5-2:2020, Low-voltage switchgear and controlgear — Part 5-2: Control circuit devices and
switching elements - Proximity switches (IEC 60947-5-2:2019)
EN 60947-5-5:1997, Low-voltage switchgear and controlgear — Part 5-5: Control circuit devices and
switching elements — Electrical emergency stop device with mechanical latching function
(IEC 60947-5-5:1997)
EN ISO 3266:2010, Forged steel eyebolts grade 4 for general lifting purposes (ISO 3266:2010)
EN ISO 3691-4:2023, Industrial trucks — Safety requirements and verification — Part 4: Driverless
industrial trucks and their systems (ISO 3691-4:2023)
EN ISO 4413:2010, Hydraulic fluid power — General rules and safety requirements for systems and their
components (ISO 4413:2010)
EN ISO 4414:2010, Pneumatic fluid power — General rules and safety requirements for systems and their
components (ISO 4414:2010)
EN ISO 4871:2009, Acoustics — Declaration and verification of noise emission values of machinery and
equipment (ISO 4871:1996)
EN ISO 7010:2020, Graphical symbols — Safety colours and safety signs — Registered safety signs (ISO
7010:2019, Corrected version 2020-06)
EN ISO 7731:2008, Ergonomics — Danger signals for public and work areas — Auditory danger signals
(ISO 7731:2003)
EN ISO 8100-1:2026, Lifts for the transport of persons and goods — Part 1: Safety rules for the construction
and installation of passenger and goods passenger lifts (ISO 8100-1:2026, including corrected version 2026-
05)
EN ISO 11161:2007, Safety of machinery — Integrated manufacturing systems — Basic requirements (ISO
11161:2007)
EN ISO 11201:2010, Acoustics — Noise emitted by machinery and equipment — Determination of emission
sound pressure levels at a work station and at other specified positions in an essentially free field over a
reflecting plane with negligible environmental corrections (ISO 11201:2010)
EN ISO 11688-1:2009, Acoustics — Recommended practice for the design of low-noise machinery and
equipment — Part 1: Planning (ISO/TR 11688-1:1995)
EN ISO 12100:2010, Safety of machinery — General principles for design — Risk assessment and risk
reduction (ISO 12100:2010)
EN ISO 13732-1:2008, Ergonomics of the thermal environment — Methods for the assessment of human
responses to contact with surfaces — Part 1: Hot surfaces (ISO 13732-1:2006)
EN ISO 13849-1:2023, Safety of machinery — Safety-related parts of control systems — Part 1: General
principles for design (ISO 13849-1:2023)
As impacted by EN 60947-5-5:1997/A1:2005, EN 60947-5-5:1997/A11:2013, EN 60947-5-5:1997/A2:2017.
As impacted by EN ISO 3266:2010/A1:2015.
As impacted by EN ISO 7010:2020/A1:2020, EN ISO 7010:2020/A2:2022, EN ISO 7010:2020/A3:2022,
EN ISO 7010:2020/A4:2023, EN ISO 7010:2020/A5:2023, EN ISO 7010:2020/A6:2023,
EN ISO 7010:2020/A7:2024.
EN ISO 13850:2015, Safety of machinery — Emergency stop function — Principles for design (ISO
13850:2015)
EN ISO 13851:2019, Safety of machinery — Two-hand control devices — Principles for design and selection
(ISO 13851:2019)
EN ISO 13854:2019, Safety of machinery — Minimum gaps to avoid crushing of parts of the human body
(ISO 13854:2017)
EN ISO 13855:2024, Safety of machinery — Positioning of safeguards with respect to the approach of the
human body (ISO 13855:2024)
EN ISO 13856-1:2013, Safety of machinery — Pressure-sensitive protective devices — Part 1: General
principles for design and testing of pressure-sensitive mats and pressure-sensitive floors (ISO 13856-1:2013)
EN ISO 13856-2:2013, Safety of machinery — Pressure-sensitive protective devices — Part 2: General
principles for design and testing of pressure-sensitive edges and pressure-sensitive bars (ISO 13856-2:2013)
EN ISO 13856-3:2013, Safety of machinery — Pressure-sensitive protective devices — Part 3: General
principles for design and testing of pressure-sensitive bumpers, plates, wires and similar devices (ISO 13856-
3:2013)
EN ISO 13857:2019, Safety of machinery — Safety distances to prevent hazard zones being reached by
upper and lower limbs (ISO 13857:2019)
EN ISO 14118:2018, Safety of machinery — Prevention of unexpected start-up (ISO 14118:2017)
EN ISO 14119:2025, Safety of machinery — Interlocking devices associated with guards — Principles for
design and selection (ISO 14119:2024)
EN ISO 14120:2015, Safety of machinery — Guards — General requirements for the design and
construction of fixed and movable guards (ISO 14120:2015)
EN ISO 14122-1:2016, Safety of machinery — Permanent means of access to machinery — Part 1: Choice
of fixed means and general requirements of access (ISO 14122-1:2016)
EN ISO 14122-2:2016, Safety of machinery — Permanent means of access to machinery — Part 2: Working
platforms and walkways (ISO 14122-2:2016)
EN ISO 14122-3:2016, Safety of machinery — Permanent means of access to machinery — Part 3: Stairs,
stepladders and guard-rails (ISO 14122-3:2016)
EN ISO 14122-4:2016, Safety of machinery — Permanent means of access to machinery — Part 4: Fixed
ladders (ISO 14122-4:2016)
ISO 4309:2017, Cranes — Wire ropes — Care and maintenance, inspection and discard
3 Terms, definitions and abbreviations
3.1 General
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in EN ISO 12100:2010 and the
following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
• ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp
• IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
3.2 Terms and definitions
3.2.1
area concept
subdivision of the locations in a company with defined boundaries (see Figure 1)
Key
A entry /exit point from working place / traffic area to restricted area either for unit load transport or
personnel access
B entry /exit point from restricted area to danger area either for unit load transport or personnel access
C entry /exit point from working place / traffic area to danger area either for unit load transport or personnel
access
D entry /exit point from public area to restricted area either for unit load transport or personnel access
E entry /exit point from public area to danger area either for unit load transport or personnel access
F entry /exit point from public area to working place / traffic area either for unit load transport or personnel
access
White area public area of passenger terminal (airport, harbour)
Grey area working place / traffic area
Blue area restricted area
Red area danger area
1 Intended working place
Figure 1 — Area concept
3.2.1.1
working place
place (including intended working p
...