The NR-12 Norm Explained and Simplified - MACHINERY Safety IN BRAZIL
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Foreword
With 210 million people, Brazil is a country with an enormous consumer market, and has large industrial complexes for the manufacturing of consumer goods, as well as being a strong exporter of food and raw materials.
Brazil seeks to make industrial processes more efficient so that costs can be lowered, and the prices of products become more competitive, as well as a demand for safer machinery and equipment. Companies are increasingly engaged in reducing the number and the severity of work accidents, as well as meeting safety requirements in inspections, both from inspectors, customer audits and independent certifications.
Both countries have standards that guide the reduction of risks in machinery and equipment, which promote principles and methodologies for the elimination of hazards and for a sufficient reduction of risks. However, it is important to align the technical documentation of the machine, both in terms of translation into Portuguese, and for the specifics of local regulations.
Regulatory overview
The main standard in Brazil for issues related to the safety of machinery and equipment is the Regulatory Standard No. 12 – Machinery and Work Equipment Safety, known as NR-12. This normative has requirements for a machine to be imported, marketed, manufactured, transported, installed and operated in Brazil.
NR-12: Origins and Purpose
In Brazil, the work relationships are regulated by the Consolidation of Work Laws (CLT), which contains complementary obligations such as the Regulatory Standards, under the chapter of safety and medicine at work.
The Regulatory Standards, identified by the acronym NR (Norma Regulamentadora), in Portuguese, consist in obligations, rights and duties that must be observed by employers and workers. Their purpose is to ensure the safety and health standard in the work environment, avoiding accidents and illnesses related to labour. Commissions and groups formed by workers, employers and representatives produce and revise the Regulatory Standards, according to recommendations from the International Labour Organization (ILO), in an equal tripartite system.
The first version of the Regulatory Standard nº12 Machinery and Work Equipment Safety (NR-12) was published in 1978 and its purpose was to regulate specific articles from the Consolidation of Work Laws - CLT.
Between 1978 and 2010, the NR-12 suffered specific changes, driven by regional initiatives. In 2010 a tripartite group of work, with representatives, employers and workers, approved a significant revision, considering suggestions received from society. In this new edition of the norm, a consolidation of technical references was carried out, including fundamental principles, protection measures and the establishment of several minimum requirements to prevent labour related accidents and illnesses. It also foresaw the employment of new and old machinery and equipment, and aspects to be observed in the manufacturing, importation, commercialization and exhibition.
The 2010 revision was the major significant advancement to align local demands related to machinery and equipment safety with international standards. In the subsequent years, the norm suffered other changes that facilitated the exchange of technology avoiding technical barriers, as well as some that updated the standard to facilitate the understanding and application.
The 2010 update was broadly aligned with the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 May 2006, granting an acceptance advantage to machines that already bear the CE Marking.
Market Trend for Machines compliant with NR-12
In Brazil, the engineering teams that prepare the specifications for machinery and equipment for the manufacturing processes increasingly include the full compliance with NR-12 in the technical specifications. NR-12 is the most important regulatory standard related to machine safety in Brazil, an item that must be met by the supplier through evidences in form of reports and declarations of the manufacturer or importer.
In the area of process engineering equipment, compliance requirements of industrial plant components are frequently required in audits.
In the automotive industry, manufacturers frequently receive external audits, both for ISO certification and labour inspectors, in which NR-12 items are frequently verified. It is also common for companies audited by labour inspectors to enter into an agreement to carry out adaptations of the machines in their production process within a schedule to fully comply with the NR-12, but also simultaneously seek greater process automation.
Another topic of recent discussions in Brazil is the need for investment in sanitation, which is an example of sector that is related to welding technology and also requires machines that comply with the NR-12.