EN 15503:2009+A2:2015
(Main + Amendment)Garden equipment - Garden blowers, vacuums and blower/vacuums - Safety
General Information
- Abstract
This European Standard specifies the safety requirements and their verification for the design and construction of hand-held combustion engine powered and back-pack combustion engine powered, garden vacuums and garden blower/vacuums with or without shredding means and garden blowers, designed for one operator only. In addition, it specifies the type of information on safe working practices (including residual risks) to be provided by the manufacturer.
Throughout this European Standard the term 'machine' is used to mean all the types of garden blowers and vacuums covered by it.
This European Standard deals, except for vibration of backpack machines, with all hazards, hazardous situations and events relevant to these machines when they are used as intended and under the conditions foreseen by the manufacturer (see Clause 4).
This European Standard is not applicable to:
- walk-behind, hand-guided (support-wheeled) and ride-on machines;
- mains driven and battery powered blowers and vacuums of combinations thereof;
NOTE EN 60335-1 [1] and IEC 60335-2-100 [2] give the safety requirements for mains driven blowers and blower vacuums, vacuum cleaners for household and industrial use.
- structural integrity test for blowers and blower vacuums;
- strength test for harnesses and back-pack supports.
This European Standard is not applicable to machines which are manufactured before the date of its publication a
- Status
- Published
- Publication Date
- 22-Dec-2015
- Technical Committee
- CEN/TC 144 - Tractors and machinery for agriculture and forestry
- Drafting Committee
- CEN/TC 144/WG 6 - Manually portable forestry machinery
- Current Stage
- 9093 - Decision to confirm - Review Enquiry
- Start Date
- 04-Dec-2025
- Completion Date
- 23-Sep-2026
- Directive
- Harmonized Standard2006/42/EC - Directive 2006/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 May 2006 on machinery, and amending Directive 95/16/EC (recast)OJ Ref: C 332/01, C 173 OJ Date: 13-May-2016
Overview
EN 15503:2009+A2:2015 (CEN) is the European Type-C safety standard for garden blowers, vacuums and blower/vacuums driven by combustion engines (hand‑held or backpack) and designed for a single operator. It specifies the safety requirements and verification methods for design, construction and information supplied by the manufacturer, including instructions on safe working practices and residual risks. The standard incorporates Amendments A1 and A2 and supports the essential requirements of EU legislation (see Annex ZA).
Key topics and technical requirements
The standard covers hazards, hazardous situations and events relevant to combustion‑engine garden blowers and vacuums (except a small number of exclusions). Major technical topics include:
- Scope and definitions - machines covered (hand‑held and backpack combustion‑engine units) and exclusions (walk‑behind, mains or battery powered, ride‑on).
- General safety requirements for design and construction in line with EN ISO 12100 (machine risk reduction principles).
- Fan housing strength and rigidity and related verification tests for hand‑held and backpack units.
- Structural integrity of vacuums and associated testing procedures.
- Handles, controls and harnesses - ergonomic and control placement requirements; harness provisions (excluding strength tests for back‑pack supports).
- Starting device, fuel tank openings and electrical/ignition circuitry safety requirements.
- Noise - reduction by design, information requirements and a normative Noise Test Code (Annex A, Grade 2 engineering method).
- Vibration - measurement at handles and declaration (Annex B); note: vibration of backpack machines is excluded from requirements.
- Protection from exhaust fumes, marking, warnings, and instruction handbook content and durability.
- Normative tests and annexes - tortuous path test (Annex D), safety signs examples (Annex C) and conformity information (Annex ZA relating to Directive 2006/42/EC).
Practical applications and users
EN 15503:2009+A2:2015 is primarily used by:
- Manufacturers and product designers of combustion‑engine garden blowers, vacuums and combined units - to design compliant products and prepare instruction handbooks.
- Test laboratories and conformity assessment bodies - to verify compliance with safety, noise and vibration measurement procedures.
- Compliance and regulatory teams - for CE marking and demonstrating alignment with the Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC).
- Technical authors and safety engineers - to create markings, warnings and safe‑use documentation for end users.
Adopting EN 15503 helps reduce operator risk, ensures consistent garden blower safety, and supports market access across CEN member countries.
Related standards
- EN ISO 12100 - General principles for risk assessment and design.
- EN 60335‑1 and IEC 60335‑2‑100 - safety requirements for mains‑driven and household/industrial vacuum cleaners (for mains/battery units).
- EU Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC - essential requirements referenced in Annex ZA.
Relations
- Effective Date
- 21-Oct-2015
- Merged From
EN 15503:2009+A1:2013 - Garden equipment - Garden blowers, vacuums and blower/vacuums - Safety - Effective Date
- 21-Oct-2015
- Effective Date
- 25-Aug-2026
- Effective Date
- 09-Feb-2026
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
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Frequently Asked Questions
EN 15503:2009+A2:2015 is a standard published by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN). Its full title is "Garden equipment - Garden blowers, vacuums and blower/vacuums - Safety". This standard covers: This European Standard specifies the safety requirements and their verification for the design and construction of hand-held combustion engine powered and back-pack combustion engine powered, garden vacuums and garden blower/vacuums with or without shredding means and garden blowers, designed for one operator only. In addition, it specifies the type of information on safe working practices (including residual risks) to be provided by the manufacturer. Throughout this European Standard the term 'machine' is used to mean all the types of garden blowers and vacuums covered by it. This European Standard deals, except for vibration of backpack machines, with all hazards, hazardous situations and events relevant to these machines when they are used as intended and under the conditions foreseen by the manufacturer (see Clause 4). This European Standard is not applicable to: - walk-behind, hand-guided (support-wheeled) and ride-on machines; - mains driven and battery powered blowers and vacuums of combinations thereof; NOTE EN 60335-1 [1] and IEC 60335-2-100 [2] give the safety requirements for mains driven blowers and blower vacuums, vacuum cleaners for household and industrial use. - structural integrity test for blowers and blower vacuums; - strength test for harnesses and back-pack supports. This European Standard is not applicable to machines which are manufactured before the date of its publication a
This European Standard specifies the safety requirements and their verification for the design and construction of hand-held combustion engine powered and back-pack combustion engine powered, garden vacuums and garden blower/vacuums with or without shredding means and garden blowers, designed for one operator only. In addition, it specifies the type of information on safe working practices (including residual risks) to be provided by the manufacturer. Throughout this European Standard the term 'machine' is used to mean all the types of garden blowers and vacuums covered by it. This European Standard deals, except for vibration of backpack machines, with all hazards, hazardous situations and events relevant to these machines when they are used as intended and under the conditions foreseen by the manufacturer (see Clause 4). This European Standard is not applicable to: - walk-behind, hand-guided (support-wheeled) and ride-on machines; - mains driven and battery powered blowers and vacuums of combinations thereof; NOTE EN 60335-1 [1] and IEC 60335-2-100 [2] give the safety requirements for mains driven blowers and blower vacuums, vacuum cleaners for household and industrial use. - structural integrity test for blowers and blower vacuums; - strength test for harnesses and back-pack supports. This European Standard is not applicable to machines which are manufactured before the date of its publication a
EN 15503:2009+A2:2015 is classified under the following ICS (International Classification for Standards) categories: 65.060.70 - Horticultural equipment. The ICS classification helps identify the subject area and facilitates finding related standards.
EN 15503:2009+A2:2015 has the following relationships with other standards: It is inter standard links to EN 15503:2009+A1:2013/FprA2:2015, EN 15503:2009+A1:2013, IEC 61032:1997, IEC 60068-2-75:1997, EN ISO 14119:2025, EN ISO 13849-1:2008, EN ISO 3744:2009, EN ISO 13857:2008, EN ISO 4871:2009, EN ISO 12100:2010, EN ISO 22868:2008, EN 232:2003, EN ISO 11201:2009, EN ISO 22867:2008, EN 14930:2007. Understanding these relationships helps ensure you are using the most current and applicable version of the standard.
EN 15503:2009+A2:2015 is associated with the following European legislation: EU Directives/Regulations: 2006/42/EC; Standardization Mandates: M/396. When a standard is cited in the Official Journal of the European Union, products manufactured in conformity with it benefit from a presumption of conformity with the essential requirements of the corresponding EU directive or regulation.
EN 15503:2009+A2:2015 is available in PDF format for immediate download after purchase. The document can be added to your cart and obtained through the secure checkout process. Digital delivery ensures instant access to the complete standard document.
Standards Content (Sample)
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.Oprema za nego vrta - Vrtni pihalniki, vrtni sesalniki in vrtni pihalniki/sesalniki - VarnostGartengeräte - Blasgeräte, Sauggeräte und Blas-/Sauggeräte für den Garten - SicherheitMatériel de jardinage - Souffleurs, aspirateurs et aspirateurs-souffleurs de jardin - SécuritéGarden equipment - Garden blowers, vacuums and blower/vacuums - Safety65.060.70Vrtnarska opremaHorticultural equipmentICS:Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z:EN 15503:2009+A2:2015SIST EN 15503:2010+A2:2016en,fr,de01-marec-2016SIST EN 15503:2010+A2:2016SLOVENSKI
STANDARD
EUROPEAN STANDARD NORME EUROPÉENNE EUROPÄISCHE NORM
EN 15503:2009+A2
December 2015 ICS 65.060.70 Supersedes EN 15503:2009+A1:2013
English Version
Garden equipment - Garden blowers, vacuums and blower/vacuums - Safety
Matériel de jardinage - Souffleurs, aspirateurs et aspirateurs-souffleurs de jardin - Sécurité
Gartengeräte - Blasgeräte, Sauggeräte und Blas-/Sauggeräte für den Garten - Sicherheit This European Standard was approved by CEN on 22 September 2009 and includes Amendment 1 approved by CEN on 7 September 2013
and Amendment 2 approved by CEN on 7 November 2015.
CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre:
Avenue Marnix 17,
B-1000 Brussels © 2015 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved worldwide for CEN national Members. Ref. No. EN 15503:2009+A2:2015 E SIST EN 15503:2010+A2:2016
Noise test code – Engineering method (Grade 2 of accuracy) . 22 SIST EN 15503:2010+A2:2016
Measurement of vibration values at the handles . 29 B.1 General . 29 B.2 Measurement direction and location . 29 B.3 Adjustment of the machine before test . 29 B.4 Test procedure . 30 B.4.1 General . 30 B.4.2 Idling . 30 B.4.3 Racing . 30 B.5 Information to be reported . 30 B.5.1 General . 30 B.5.2 Machine under test. 30 B.5.3 Instrumentation . 30 B.5.4 Vibration and other data . 31 B.5.5 Calculation of equivalent vibration total values . 31 B.6 Declaration and verification of vibration values . 32 Annex C (informative)
Examples of safety signs General . 34 #Annex D (normative)$
Tortuous path test . 36 D.1 Requirements . 36 D.2 Test procedure . 36 SIST EN 15503:2010+A2:2016
Relationship between this European Standard and the Essential Requirements of EU Directive 2006/42/EC. 40 Bibliography . 41
5.8, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3 and Annex A Interference with speech, communication and warning signals. Operator not being aware of surrounding or not noticing important information 5 Hazards generated by vibration SIST EN 15503:2010+A2:2016
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