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Updated June 2012

Directive 2006/42/EC
Classification of equipment used for lifting loads with lifting machinery
This classification was approved by the Machinery Working Group as a basis for a consistent application of the term ‘lifting accessory’ as defined in
Article 2 (d) of the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. The document gives examples of equipment that are considered as lifting accessories and other
examples of equipment used for lifting loads that are not considered as lifting accessories.

N° Picture / examples Designation Description Standard / Reference Lifting Work

accessory equipment not
covered by covered by
Directive Directive
2006/42/EC 2006/42/EC
1 Textile slings Assembly of one or more EN 1492
and their sewn webbing components
parts 1, 2 & 4
X
components for attaching loads to the
hook of a crane or other
lifting machine

2 Steel wire rope Assembly of one or more EN 13414

slings and steel wire rope legs or an parts 1, 2 & 3
X
their endless sling for attaching
components loads to the hook of a crane
or other lifting machine

3 Chain slings Assembly of one or more EN 818

and their chains for attaching loads to parts 1 to 8
X
components the hook of a crane or other
lifting machine

* Such equipment is considered as a lifting accessory when it is independently placed on the market.

* * Such equipment is considered as a lifting accessory when it is not permanently attached or fixed to the lifting machinery, in other words,
when the machinery can be used to lift loads without the equipment or with other lifting accessories.
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N° Picture / examples Designation Description Standard / Reference Lifting Work

accessory equipment not
covered by covered by
Directive Directive
2006/42/EC 2006/42/EC
4 Lifting eyelets Eyelets intended to be
placed on the load by X
threading for lifting it *

5 Lifting eyelets Eyelets intended to be

placed on the load by X
welding for lifting it *

6 Lifting ear Steel plate with a hole

intended to be welded to a X
load for lifting it *
7 Lifting anchor A device intended to be Machinery Working
integrated into a structure Group X
(e.g. a concrete units, Doc. 2000.21rev1,
concrete panel) in order to
provide an anchorage for item 4
lifting the structure *
8 Rope eyelets Rope eyelets intended to be
attached to prefabricated X
building elements for lifting
them *

* Such equipment is considered as a lifting accessory when it is independently placed on the market.

* * Such equipment is considered as a lifting accessory when it is not permanently attached or fixed to the lifting machinery, in other words,
when the machinery can be used to lift loads without the equipment or with other lifting accessories.
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N° Picture / examples Designation Description Standard / Reference Lifting Work

accessory equipment not
covered by covered by
Directive Directive
2006/42/EC 2006/42/EC
9 Corner fittings Corner fittings intended to
be integrated in ISO X
containers by welding for
lifting them *
10 C-hook Equipment in the form of a EN 13155
‘C’ used for lifting hollow X
loads e.g. coils, pipes etc. * *

11 Clamp Equipment used to handle EN 13155

loads by clamping on a X
specific part of the load –
also known as tongs * *

12 Lifting beam Equipment consisting of one EN 13155

or more members equipped X
with attachment points to
facilitate the handling of
loads which require support
at several points * *

* Such equipment is considered as a lifting accessory when it is independently placed on the market.

* * Such equipment is considered as a lifting accessory when it is not permanently attached or fixed to the lifting machinery, in other words,
when the machinery can be used to lift loads without the equipment or with other lifting accessories.
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N° Picture / examples Designation Description Standard / Reference Lifting Work

accessory equipment not
covered by covered by
Directive Directive
2006/42/EC 2006/42/EC
13 Container Container spreader beams 98/37/EC Committee
spreader placed between lifting Doc. 2003.13rev.1
X
beams machinery and the load in
order to attach it * *

15 Lifting forks Equipment consisting of EN 13155

two or more arms fixed to X
an upright with an upper
arm, essentially to lift
palletised or similar loads* *
15a Forks attached Forks attached to a masted Such forks are
to a lift truck or variable reach industrial part of the
truck for holding the load. machinery
subject to
Directive
2006/42/EC

16 Plate clamps Non powered equipment EN 13155

used to handle steel plates X
by clamping them between
jaws * *

* Such equipment is considered as a lifting accessory when it is independently placed on the market.

* * Such equipment is considered as a lifting accessory when it is not permanently attached or fixed to the lifting machinery, in other words,
when the machinery can be used to lift loads without the equipment or with other lifting accessories.
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N° Picture / examples Designation Description Standard / Reference Lifting Work

accessory equipment not
covered by covered by
Directive Directive
2006/42/EC 2006/42/EC
17 Lifting magnet Equipment with a magnetic EN 13155
field creating sufficient force X
for gripping, holding and
handling loads with ferro-
magnetic properties* *
18 Vacuum lifter Equipment which includes EN 13155
one or several suction pads X
operating by vacuum * *
19 Cargo/ liftnet
X

20 Reusable big Big bag specifically

bag intended for lifting bulk X
material or debris and not
used for packaging, storage
or transport

* Such equipment is considered as a lifting accessory when it is independently placed on the market.

* * Such equipment is considered as a lifting accessory when it is not permanently attached or fixed to the lifting machinery, in other words,
when the machinery can be used to lift loads without the equipment or with other lifting accessories.
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N° Picture / examples Designation Description Standard / Reference Lifting Work

accessory equipment not
covered by covered by
Directive Directive
2006/42/EC 2006/42/EC
21 Single use big Big bag used for packaging
bag bulk material for transport X
and storage that can be
lifted in order to unpack the
material, for single use (one
trip)
22 Foundry crane Tiltable vessel with a EN 1247 Powered
ladle manual or motorised tilting foundry crane
mechanism intended for ladles are subject
containing, transporting and to the Machinery
discharging molten material Directive.
with lifting machinery
23 Concrete Bucket that is hung from a Powered
bucket crane to transport and concrete buckets
distribute concrete on a are subject to the
construction site Machinery
Directive.
24 Lifting wheel Wheel barrow with lifting
barrow eyelets intended for X
transport and application of
concrete and mortar within
a building site

* Such equipment is considered as a lifting accessory when it is independently placed on the market.

* * Such equipment is considered as a lifting accessory when it is not permanently attached or fixed to the lifting machinery, in other words,
when the machinery can be used to lift loads without the equipment or with other lifting accessories.
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N° Picture / examples Designation Description Standard / Reference Lifting Work

accessory equipment not
covered by covered by
Directive Directive
2006/42/EC 2006/42/EC
25 Debris bucket Bucket specifically intended
for transporting debris on a X
construction site with a
crane and to unload debris
without detaching it from
the crane
26 Container Container provided with 98/37/EC Committee
eyelets for lifting operation, Doc. WG 2005.41
X
used for transport and
storage of goods

27 Eyelet for The lifting eyelets for the

container above container * X
28 Bulk container Container used for
collecting e.g. waste X
products in one place and
then lifted on to a vehicle
and transported to another
location where it is
unloaded (The chain sling in
the picture is not part of the
container)

* Such equipment is considered as a lifting accessory when it is independently placed on the market.

* * Such equipment is considered as a lifting accessory when it is not permanently attached or fixed to the lifting machinery, in other words,
when the machinery can be used to lift loads without the equipment or with other lifting accessories.
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N° Picture / examples Designation Description Standard / Reference Lifting Work

accessory equipment not
covered by covered by
Directive Directive
2006/42/EC 2006/42/EC
29 ISO-container
X

30 Load pallet for

forklift trucks X

31 Stacking Stacking system for the Machinery

system for storage, transport and Working Group X
wind turbine lifting of wind turbine 14/15 February 2012
blades blades (The chain sling in item 14
the picture is not part of the
system)
32 Stillage Frame used for the storage, Machinery
transport and lifting of flat Working Group X
glass 14/15 February 2012
item 14

* Such equipment is considered as a lifting accessory when it is independently placed on the market.

* * Such equipment is considered as a lifting accessory when it is not permanently attached or fixed to the lifting machinery, in other words,
when the machinery can be used to lift loads without the equipment or with other lifting accessories.
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N° Picture / examples Designation Description Standard / Reference Lifting Work

accessory equipment not
covered by covered by
Directive Directive
2006/42/EC 2006/42/EC
33 Dynamometer Dynamometer placed Machinery
for lifting between lifting machinery Working Group X
(crane scale) and the load to indicate the 27 June 2011
weight of the load item 3.30

* Such equipment is considered as a lifting accessory when it is independently placed on the market.

* * Such equipment is considered as a lifting accessory when it is not permanently attached or fixed to the lifting machinery, in other words,
when the machinery can be used to lift loads without the equipment or with other lifting accessories.