The decision regarding the period of time during which the old standard, whose transition time actually ended on 2009.12.29, will remain valid, will be taken shortly and then be published in the Official Journal of the European Union.

In this way, the machinery and plant builders, who have yet not prepared themselves for the DIN EN ISO 13849-1, are given more time to get adjusted to the new concept of this standard.

According to Hans-J. Ostermann (www.Maschinenrichlinie.de), it must be observed that there are already product standards referring to the EN ISO 13849-1 and that other product standards partially have been conformed to this standard. For products, which are based upon these standards, the application of the old standard EN 954-1 would no longer lead to a presumption of conformity. The standard EN 954-1 furthermore cannot be applied for new technologies.

Also, according to the general principles of the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, the state of the art must be observed, which the market surveillance authority also uses as criterion for a possible product testing. Machinery and plant builders therefore have to verify whether the old standard EN 954-1 or rather the new EN ISO 13849-1 represents the state of the art for their products.