The regulation in simple terms
A machine can present risks from moving parts, unexpected starting, electricity, heat or the way a person operates and maintains it. This regulation sets general safety requirements for covered machinery and related equipment.
A safety sticker alone does not make a machine compliant. The design, protective measures, instructions and evidence need to address the actual hazards throughout its intended use and maintenance.
What does this mean for you?
- Identify the complete machine, safety components and intended installation before deciding which rules apply.
- Prepare a risk assessment that links each hazard to a protective measure and supporting evidence.
- The general regulation specifies Type 1a. Check any more specific machinery regulation and additional approvals rather than assuming all machines need the same audit route.
An everyday example
An importer buys a conveyor with an emergency-stop button. The assessment also needs to consider access to moving parts, stopping behaviour, restart after a power failure and safe maintenance. The presence of the button does not answer all of those questions.
Which products are covered?
Start with the actual function and specifications, then check the scope and applicable standard. These examples are not an exhaustive list.
| Product category | Examples | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Machinery and assemblies | Covered production machines and linked machinery | Describe the intended use, energy sources, interfaces and safety functions. |
| Interchangeable equipment and safety components | Covered attachments and safety-related components | Identify their function and whether Article 2’s specific replacement-part conditions apply. |
| Lifting accessories and partly completed machinery | Covered lifting accessories, chains, ropes and partly completed machinery | Check the exact definition, relevant standards and documentation for the intended integration. |
Product examples are not a complete classification. Read the official text and confirm the applicable scope before making an application.
Check the boundaries
Article 2 has detailed exclusions, including specified transport equipment and equipment covered by other listed regimes. Some replacement components for already certified models have specific conditions. Check the complete scope; do not treat every spare part or all machinery as covered in the same way.
GoCertify
How to get started
Use these practical steps to begin. The exact documents and tests depend on your product.
Identify the model, manufacturer, intended use and HS code; check every applicable regulation and exclusion.
Collect drawings, model photographs, labels, instructions, risk assessment and model-specific test reports.
Confirm the assessment route and additional approvals before applying, ordering inspections or arranging shipment.
Is a general test report enough?
No. Evidence must match the product, model and applicable standards. Complete the declaration, any additional approvals and applicable SABER procedures. The certification section below explains how testing, certification and other approvals fit together.
Certification route, factory audits & additional approvals
Start with the product group below. The scheme describes how conformity is assessed; it is not the same thing as a laboratory test report or a shipment certificate.
| Product group | Assessment scheme | Will a factory assessment be needed? |
|---|---|---|
| Machinery within this general regulation | Type 1a — type approval | Not routinely under Type 1a alone. The accepted body assesses the model and evidence. Another applicable regulation or a separate mark scheme can still require an audit. |
Article 6.1; Annex 3 (Type 1a); Annex 2 (essential requirements).
Prepare these specific documents
Risk assessment, drawings, control/safety circuit information, guarding and emergency-stop evidence, relevant tests, installation/maintenance instructions and supplier declaration.
Your certification steps
Follow only the assessment route applicable to your product group. Alternative routes below are not cumulative requirements.
Classify the product: identify its use, materials, age group where relevant, model, factory and HS code. Confirm the applicable row above and any overlapping regulation.
Build the technical file and close test gaps. Check that reports cover the actual model, material, operating conditions and applicable standards; complete labels, instructions, risk assessment and declarations.
Resolve additional approvals listed below. Confirm their model scope and sequence with the accepted body or authority; do not order duplicate certificates without checking the current procedure.
For Type 1a, submit the model file and representative test evidence to an accepted body for type assessment and certification. This route alone has no routine factory-production audit programme.
Complete the relevant SABER product registration and conformity/declaration procedure, then the applicable shipment certificate procedure before import. A test report or product approval alone is not a shipment certificate.
Keep approvals, declarations and records current. Notify the responsible body of changes to the model, materials, factory or production; complete the required surveillance for the route and renew approvals as applicable.
Other approvals to check
- First check whether a more specific machinery regulation applies. Its scheme or requirements may differ; this general Type 1a route is not a promise that every machine is exempt from factory assessment.
- Check EMC and electrical requirements where applicable. Wireless or network communications functions require a separate review of communications/IT and CST scope; a conventional machine does not need CST solely because it is electrically powered.
- Confirm any installation, lifting or operating approvals with the relevant authority. Product certification is not an installation or workplace operating permit.
Confirm the exact model, use and all applicable regulations with the accepted conformity-assessment body before booking tests or an audit. GoCertify supports preparation and coordination; the authorised body or authority makes the approval decision. ISO 9001 alone is not a product certificate or an automatic exemption from a required factory assessment.
Certification guidance reviewed:
Technical details and references
For a closer review, these notes point to the relevant provisions in the edition linked below.
Risk assessment and protective measures
Review the essential health and safety requirements, including controls, guarding, stability, foreseeable misuse, maintenance and instructions, as applicable. Explain the selected measures in the technical file.
Article 4; Annex 2.
Assessment scheme
Article 6.1 specifies Type 1a under Annex 3. The product and its evidence are assessed by an accepted body; this general route does not itself establish a routine Type 3 factory-audit programme.
Article 6.1; Annex 3.
Standards and integration
Use the applicable product standards and scope definitions. A component report is not automatically evidence for a complete assembly; identify interfaces and responsibilities when machines or partly completed machinery are integrated.
Articles 1, 2 and 6; Annex 1; Annexes 4 and 5.
Edition and dates
- Document edition
- First edition; official Arabic document
- Regulation published
- GoCertify summary reviewed
The publication date comes from the official document cover. It is different from this guide’s review date; check subsequent implementation notices and amendments before shipping.
Official documents & sources
Technical Regulation for General Requirements for Machinery Safety
Official documents are issued by SASO. The explanations on this website are independent GoCertify guidance, not official translations or approvals.
Download PDF · Arabic (5.8 MB)Download an unmodified copy of the official SASO regulation, hosted by GoCertify. The edition and dates shown above identify this copy.
This summary refers to the articles and annexes in the official SASO document linked below.
- View official source at SASO (opens in a new tab)
- SASO regulation catalogue (opens in a new tab)
- SABER regulations directory (opens in a new tab)
Product examples are not a complete classification. Read the official text and confirm the applicable scope before making an application.
The review date records when we checked these sources. It is not a promise that the regulator has made no subsequent changes. Official documents and later notices take precedence.