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The Noise Emission in the
Environment by Equipment for Use Outdoors Directive 2000/14/EC
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Subject area.
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Sound power levels of equipment for use outdoors.
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Intention of
legislation |
To control and monitor noise of equipment for use
outdoors so as to reduce noise nuisance; to remove technical barriers to trade
arising out of member States' different noise requirements; to simplify
legislation by including existing directives. Manufacturers are required to
measure or have measured the sound power level of 57 categories of equipment, 22
of which will have to meet limits. Noise test methods will be harmonised
standards wherever possible with a choice of conformity assessment procedures.
Labels will need to be affixed to each item of equipment showing the guaranteed
sound power level and declarations of conformity will need to be issued.
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| Coverage |
Equipment for use outdoors comprising a wide range
of Construction plant and equipment, including that in the previous directives,
equipment for gardens, for lifting, pumps, drills, saws, etc.
A detailed list of equipment is given below.
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| Brief history |
Since about 1990 several member states have pressed
the Commission to review noise requirements in existing noise limit directives
and impose new requirements for other equipment.
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| Current position
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The Directive entered into force on 3 July 2000.
The provisions of the Directive became mandatory on 3 January 2002. The
Directive  (751 kB) has been transposed into UK law by
The Noise Emission in the Environment by Equipment
for use Outdoors Regulations 2001 (S.I. 2001/1701) and entered into force on
3 July 2001.
Notified Bodies have been appointed and
underwent assessment to the Guidelines for
Organisations seeking Notified Body status to Undertake Noise Emission Testing,
Inspection and Certification.
The Directive applies noise limits to the 22 equipment types in two stages.
The first stage was 3 January 2002. The second stage is 3 January 2006. However,
recently the European Commission have accepted that for 9 equipment types in
particular it will not be possible to meet the stage II limits for technical
reasons and have proposed a short amendment to the Directive which will aim to
remove the Stage II limits in these cases. The amending Directive requires
Member States to transpose it into national law by 31 December 2005 and apply
provisions from 3 January 2006. The legislation therefore needed to be amended
prior to 3 January 2006 in order to avoid the unintended consequence of
equipment being removed from the European market.
Following a period of Consultation, the Noise Emission in the Environment by
Equipment for Use Outdoors (Amendment) Regulations 2005, S.I. 2005 No. 3525 came
into force on 3 January 2006.
A copy of the amendment Regulations can be found at
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2005/uksi_20053525_en.pdf
A copy of the Consultation document can be found as
noisecons05.pdf (424 kB).
A copy of the Regulatory Impact Assessment can be found as
nria0106.pdf (163 kB).
Updated guidance material will be made available shortly. In the meantime any
enquiries should be addressed to Angela Finch - see below.
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| Future work |
We will continue to represent the UK at future
Noise Committee meetings in Brussels and contribute to the Commission's review
of the Directive over the next year or so.
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| Guidance |
Comprehensive DTI guidance booklets are available
from our Downloadable Documents page. Hard
copies of most of our documents can be ordered on-line from there, or please
visit Publications.
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| Contacts |
Angela Finch
Department of Trade and Industry
Standards & Technical Regulations Directorate 4
151 Buckingham Palace Road
London SW1W 9SS
Tel 020 7215 1438
Fax 020 7215 1529
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EQUIPMENT
SUBJECT TO NOISE LIMITS
builders' hoists for the transport of goods
(combustion-engine-driven) compaction machines (only self-propelled and
walk-behind vibrating and non-vibrating rollers, vibratory plates and vibratory
rammers)
compressors (<350 kW)
concrete-breakers and picks, hand-held construction winches(combustion-engine
driven)
dozers (<500kW)
dumpers (<500 kW)
excavators, hydraulic or rope-operated (<500 kW) excavator-loaders (<500 kW)
graders (<500 kW)
hydraulic power packs
landfill compactors, loader-type with bucket (<500 kW) lawnmowers (excluding:
= agricultural and forestry equipment;
= multi-purpose devices, the main motorized component of which has an installed
power of more than 20 kW)
lawn trimmers/lawn edge trimmers
lift trucks (only combustion-engine driven counterbalanced lift trucks) loaders
(<500 kW)
motor hoes (< 3kW)
mobile cranes
paver-finishers (excluded are paver-finishers with a high compaction screed)
power generators (<400 kW)
tower cranes
welding generators
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EQUIPMENT NOT SUBJECT TO NOISE
LIMITS
aerial access platforms with combustion engine
brush cutters
builders' hoists for the transport of goods (with electric motor)
building site band saw machines
building site circular saw benches
chain saws, portable
combined high pressure flushers and suction vehicles
compaction machines (only explosion rammers)
concrete or mortar mixers
construction winches (with electric motor)
conveying and spraying machines for concrete and mortar
conveyor belts
cooling equipment on vehicles
drill rigs
equipment for loading and unloading tanks or silos on trucks
glass recycling containers
grass trimmers /grass edge trimmers
hedge trimmers
high pressure flushers
high pressure water jet machines
hydraulic hammers
joint cutters
leaf blowers
leaf collectors
lift trucks, combustion-engine driven, counterbalanced (only "other
counterbalanced lift trucks" with a rated capacity of not more than 10t)
mobile waste containers
paver finishers (equipped with a high-compaction screed)
piling equipment
pipelayers
piste caterpillars power generators (=> 400 kw)
power sweepers
refuse collection vehicles
road milling machines
scarifiers
shredders/chippers
snow-removing systems with rotating tools (self-propelled, excluding
attachments)
suction vehicles
trenchers
truck mixers
water pump units (not for use under water)
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