Three layers with different addressees
Addressed to the manufacturer. Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC until 19 January 2027, then Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230.
Harmonised standards such as EN 1829-1 and EN ISO 12100 describe how the requirements are met.
Addressed to the operator. Operational safety regulation and DGUV rules, in particular DGUV Rule 100-500, chapter 2.36 (Germany).
Noise, hazardous substances, wastewater, and work in confined spaces follow their own regulations.
Risk assessment, work instructions, briefing, and recurring inspections must be documented.
Product and safety standards
EN 1829-1:2021High-pressure water jet machines – Safety requirements – Part 1: MachinesThe central product standard. Applies to machines using pumps as the pressure source, regardless of drive type. Supersedes the 2010 edition. Covers hazards during assembly, setup, operation, and servicing. Exclusions include, among others, potentially explosive atmospheres, use aboard ships, and ambient temperatures outside 5°C to 40°C.
Product standardEN 1829-2:2008+AC:2011High-pressure water jet machines – Safety requirements – Part 2: Hoses, hose lines and connectorsRequirements, test methods, and marking for high-pressure hose lines and for devices that secure connections against unintended release. German implementation: DIN EN 1829-2:2012-02. Scope begins above the scope of EN 60335-2-79 (currently valid: DIN EN 60335-2-79:2015-02, 35 MPa / 350 bar permitted operating gauge pressure).
ComponentsDIN EN 60335-2-79:2015-02High-pressure cleaners and steam cleanersGerman version of EN 60335-2-79:2012 (based on IEC 60335-2-79:2012, modified). Covers the range up to 35 MPa (350 bar). This boundary also marks the start of the scope of EN 1829-1 and is therefore a common dividing line in procurement. Only the earlier IEC editions IEC 60335-2-79:1995 (1st edition) and IEC 60335-2-79:2002 (2nd edition) set this boundary at 25 MPa (250 bar); the European version EN 60335-2-79:2009 (DIN EN 60335-2-79:2010-01) already stood at 35 MPa, as do the later international editions IEC 60335-2-79:2016 (4th edition) and IEC 60335-2-79:2021 (5th edition). Older sources and some existing equipment still refer to the 250 bar boundary of the 2002 IEC base edition.
BoundaryDIN EN ISO 12100:2011-03Safety of machinery – General principles for design – Risk assessment and risk reductionThe foundational methodology standard, based on ISO 12100:2010. Defines the process from establishing the limits of the machine, through hazard identification, to evaluating residual risk. A revision is in draft as of August 2026 but not yet published.
MethodologyDIN EN ISO 13849-1:2023-12Safety of machinery – Safety-related parts of control systems – Part 1: General principles for designGerman version of EN ISO 13849-1:2023 (based on ISO 13849-1:2023). Supersedes the 2016 edition. Relevant for interlocking, enabling devices, emergency stop, and the safeguarding of automated cells. The required Performance Level follows from the risk assessment of the specific system.
Control systemsDIN 8580 / DIN 8590Classification of manufacturing processes (Germany)Process-systematic classification: waterjet cutting is classed under separating processes, in the material-removal group. For tenders and work plans, this classification is the clean reference.
ClassificationOperational rules
DGUV Rule 100-500, ch. 2.36Working with Liquid Jetting Equipment (issue March 2017)German operational rule. Scope: liquid jetting equipment from 25 bar permitted operating gauge pressure, or from a pressure-flow product of 10,000 bar·l/min. Contains requirements for mechanically guided and hand-held jetting lances, and the reaction-force thresholds of 150 N and 250 N.
OperationBetrSichVOperational Safety Ordinance (Germany)Governs the provision and use of work equipment, the risk assessment, and recurring inspections. For pressure equipment, the requirements for equipment subject to monitoring must additionally be checked.
OperationLärmVibrationsArbSchVNoise and Vibration Occupational Safety Ordinance (Germany)Ultra-high-pressure cleaning regularly reaches sound levels that require hearing protection and a noise-reduction programme. Evidence is established through workplace measurement.
EnvironmentDGUV Rule 113-004Working in Tanks, Silos, and Confined Spaces (Germany)Applicable to tank and vessel cleaning. Governs safety watch personnel, atmosphere testing, rescue planning, and access organisation.
EnvironmentTransition to the EU Machinery Regulation
Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 was published in the Official Journal on 29 June 2023 and entered into force on 19 July 2023. It applies in full from 20 January 2027 and supersedes the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. As a regulation, it applies directly in all member states; no national transposition is required.
| Period | Applicable Legal Framework | Practical Consequence |
|---|---|---|
| until 19 January 2027 | Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC | Conformity assessment and declaration under the existing procedure |
| from 20 January 2027 | Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 | Adapted technical documentation and conformity assessment required |
| Projects spanning the date | depends on placing on the market | The moment of placing on the market governs, not the order date |
The Commission has enabled a combined declaration of conformity for machinery placed on the market before the transition date.
For systems with a long project timeline, the request should ask under which legal framework the supplier will carry out the conformity assessment, and how they handle a delivery date slipping past 20 January 2027. Clarifying this afterward is considerably more work than settling it in the requirements spec.
This page provides a technical orientation to the regulatory framework and does not replace case-specific review or legal advice. Only the official versions of the legal instruments and the current editions of the standards and rules are authoritative. Editions change; the ones named here were checked as of August 2026.
Frequently asked questions about the regulatory framework
From what point is a system a high-pressure water jet machine?
For the product standard EN 1829-1, the scope begins above the boundary of EN 60335-2-79. Under the currently valid edition DIN EN 60335-2-79:2015-02, that boundary is 35 MPa (350 bar); this figure has applied since the European edition EN 60335-2-79:2009. Only the earlier IEC editions IEC 60335-2-79:1995 (1st edition) and IEC 60335-2-79:2002 (2nd edition) set it at 25 MPa (250 bar), a figure still seen in older literature and on some existing equipment. For the operational rule DGUV Rule 100-500, chapter 2.36, the threshold is considerably lower regardless: from 25 bar permitted operating gauge pressure, or from a pressure-flow product of 10,000 bar·l/min. All three thresholds must be checked separately.
What does the pressure-flow product mean in practice?
It is the product of permitted operating gauge pressure in bar and flow rate in l/min. A system at 200 bar and 60 l/min reaches 12,000 bar·l/min and so falls within the rule's scope, even though the pressure alone looks moderate. This combination is regularly overlooked in practice.
Who prepares the risk assessment for a linked system?
Whoever places the complete system on the market or puts it into service. Linking standalone machines into an overall system regularly creates a new machine requiring its own conformity assessment. If an existing system is substantially modified, it must likewise be checked whether a new assessment is required.
Are recurring inspections mandatory?
Type and intervals follow from the risk assessment under the Operational Safety Ordinance (Germany) and from the manufacturer's specifications. For high-pressure hose assemblies, visual inspection and replacement intervals are typically regulated separately. Manufacturer inspection checklists are explicitly recommended.
- DIN EN 1829-1:2021-04, High-pressure water jet machines – Safety requirements – Part 1: Machines – https://www.dinmedia.de/de/norm/din-en-1829-1/321847498
- DGUV Rule 100-500, chapter 2.36 “Working with Liquid Jetting Equipment,” issue March 2017 – https://publikationen.dguv.de/media/pdf/27/3a/6a/R500_236.pdf
- Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 on machinery, applicable from 20 January 2027 – https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32023R1230