I'm doing a safety risk assesment on a machine. It has a motor with 3-phase power supplied through a D connector similar to RS part 542-7652. The connection comprises male and female connector, both cable mount, with the supply to the socket connector.

The terminals are rated for the voltage and current they will take, but I am concerned as to whether the contacts are sufficiently shrouded against accidental contact. The connectors are not inside an enclosure - the designer tells me that the finger-operated jackscrews will be replaced with ordinary screws so they cannot be undone.

Is this connection likely to be acceptable (EN60204 applies)? If not acceptable, can anyone tell me what regulation is contravened?

Thanks, John.

If EN60204-1 applies, then BS7671 only covers the connection of the machine to its supply (or supplies), and any earthing/bonding connection between the machine and things outside the machine, etc.

The manufacturer's design and DofC/tcf must therefore be consulted (if the machine is new enough).

From a legislation / regulatory perspective, the Electricity at Work Regulations apply, and in terms of protection against what we used to call "direct contact" and "indirect contact", the duties are absolute, not "SFARP"

I would suggest the person responsible for the Employer conducts a risk assessment, taking into account the normal use of the machine, whether the connection is accessible with or without the use of a key or tool, and maintenance operations / instructions / training, and determine whether additional enclosures / barriers are required here.

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Eur Ing Graham Kenyon CEng MIET