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IV. Safety Standards,Marking and theEuropean Machinery Directive33What is the “” mark and what does it mean?The “CE” mark (for Conformite Europeene) is a symbolapplied to finished products and machinery which meetapplicable European Directives. For electrical and electronic“finished products,” these include the Low VoltageDirective and, where relevant, the ElectromagneticCompatibility (EMC) Directive.34No, the CE mark is not a safety mark. It simply serves toadvise European customs officials that the product meetsall applicable European Directives, allowing it to be placed35The CE mark on a machine indicates that the machineas a whole conforms to the requirements of theEuropean Machinery Directive (EMD). The EMD statesthat the machine must comply with the Essential Health& Safety requirements and the EMC.Does the mark on a safety interlock switch,coded-magnet sensor, safety controller or otherfinished product intended for use in a safetycircuit signify the product is safe?on the European Economic Market Area (The EuropeanUnion and the countries of Iceland, Liechtenstein andNorway).Are third-party approvals needed to apply themark to safety components?Third-party examination by an approved, independenttesting agency or notified body is required for some safetycomponents. Specific products include light curtains,safety mats, and two-hand controls. In addition somecountries, such as Germany, require third-party certificationfor safety circuit controllers.For most other safety components (such as interlockswitches, coded-magnet sensors, limit switches, et al)self-certification by the manufacturer is acceptable.380Despite this liberty, as policy SCHMERSAL has all oftheir safety products certified by an independent thirdparty (such as the BG).Whether third-party or self-certified, all CE-marked componentsmust be documented by a Declaration ofConformity. This document, signed by a highly positionedtechnical manager (e.g. Director of Engineering, et al),lists all standards and directives to which the productconforms. In addition, component manufacturers mustmaintain technical files documenting test results, etc.