This International Standard specifies safety requirements and their verification by testing for the design and construction of portable, hand-held, internal combustion engine driven, cut-off machines, intended to be used by a single operator in the cutting of construction materials, such as asphalt, concrete, stone and metal. It is applicable to those machines designed purposely for use with a rotating, bonded-abrasive and/or superabrasive (diamond) cut-off wheel having a maximum outside diameter of 406 mm, centre-mounted on, and driven by, a spindle shaft, where the top of the wheel rotates away from the operator (see Figure 1).
This International Standard deals with all significant hazards related to the hand-held use of such machines (see Clause 4). It specifies methods for the elimination or reduction of hazards arising from their use, as well as the type of information on safe working practices to be provided with the machines. Cut-off machines designed in accordance with this International Standard are intended to be used by persons who have read and understood the safety requirements given in the "instruction handbook" and who use the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).
Except for noise, environmental aspects are not considered by this International Standard; nor are cut-off wheel specifications given - for such specifications, see, for example, EN 12413 [1] and EN 13236 [2].
This International Standard is not applicable to machines manufactured before the date of its publication.