Glossary · Operator documentation
Machine operating instructions (Maschinenbetriebsanweisung)
Also known as: Maschinenbetriebsanweisung, Machine Betriebsanweisung
German: Maschinenbetriebsanweisung
In German occupational safety law, machine operating instructions (Maschinenbetriebsanweisung) are the employer's Betriebsanweisung for a specific machine at a specific workplace under § 12 BetrSichV: the hazards of using it there, the protective measures and rules of conduct, operating limits and the behavior required in case of faults, accidents and emergencies.
- Compliance
- Technical documentation
- German source term
In one sentence
A Maschinenbetriebsanweisung is the employer's Betriebsanweisung for one machine at one workplace under § 12 BetrSichV — not a CE requirement.
Example
For a newly installed CNC lathe, the employer extracts the safety-relevant content of the manufacturer's manual, adds the hazards of the actual workplace such as chip removal and coolant mist, and posts the result as a Betriebsanweisung at the machine.
How it applies
- Content: § 12(1) BetrSichV names what employees must be informed about before first use, based on the risk assessment: the hazards of using the work equipment, including those from the working environment, the necessary protective measures and rules of conduct, and the measures for operational disruptions, accidents and first aid. The written Betriebsanweisung under § 12(2) carries this information to the machine.
- Main input: The manufacturer's operating manual is the main input — intended use, operating limits, warnings, fault clearance. The employer adds what only the workplace shows: neighboring equipment, layout, site rules, lockout/tagout arrangements.
- Audiences: DGUV Information 211-010 notes that different groups working on the same machine may need separate instructions, for example setters and operators.
Not a requirement of machinery law
A frequent misunderstanding is that a CE-marked machine must come with a Betriebsanweisung. Machinery law — the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC and, from January 20, 2027, the Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 — obliges the manufacturer to supply instructions for use. The Maschinenbetriebsanweisung follows from occupational safety law and is the employer's duty. § 12(2) BetrSichV lets the employer use the manufacturer's instructions instead only where they contain information equivalent to a Betriebsanweisung.