Glossary · Risk assessment and risk reduction
Intended use
In machine safety, intended use is the use of machinery in accordance with the information provided by the manufacturer, in particular the instructions for use. It defines the baseline for the risk assessment, together with reasonably foreseeable misuse.
- Machine safety
- Technical documentation
- EU
In one sentence
Intended use states what a machine is designed for; together with foreseeable misuse it sets the scope of the risk assessment and of the operating manual.
Example
The operating manual of a palletizer states that it is intended for stacking closed cardboard cartons up to 25 kg in indoor warehouses, operated by trained personnel.
Explained in context
Context cards connect this term with others to answer one question. Also in British English and German.
How it applies
- Technical documentation: State intended use precisely in the instructions for use: purpose, materials, operating modes, environment, users and their qualification. Vague statements such as “for industrial use” weaken the risk assessment.
- Risk assessment: Intended use is part of the machine limits. It must be considered together with reasonably foreseeable misuse; a narrow intended use does not shift responsibility for predictable behavior.
- EU: EU machinery legislation uses intended use and reasonably foreseeable misuse as the basis for the essential health and safety requirements. Use outside the stated intended use may amount to a modification that needs its own assessment.
- AI and retrieval: The AI Act uses the related concept of intended purpose for AI systems. Keep both terms distinct when a machine includes an AI component.
Intended use vs. reasonably foreseeable misuse
Intended use is what the manufacturer specifies. Reasonably foreseeable misuse is what people can be expected to do anyway. Both must be covered by risk reduction.