EN 15011 and CE: Crane Standards Explained

EN 15011 is the European standard for bridge and gantry cranes.

EN 14492-2 covers power-driven hoists.

Not in itself. CE marking is the manufacturer's declaration that the machine meets the relevant European requirements. For a crane, that declaration should be backed by a technical file, instructions and an EC declaration of conformity supplied to the buyer. A CE mark without those documents tells you little, so ask to see them when you compare suppliers and again at handover.

Ask for the declaration of conformity, load test records, the operating and maintenance manual, electrical diagrams, a spare parts list and the operator training record. Agree this list when you order rather than at commissioning, so nothing is missing later. Keep the set together with your periodic inspection and maintenance records, because inspectors and service engineers will refer to them throughout the crane's life.

EN 15011 is the standard for bridge and gantry cranes as machines, while FEM 9.511 classifies hoist mechanisms by duty and ISO 4301 classifies cranes and mechanisms. In other words, one addresses the crane itself and the other two describe how hard it works, so they are used together rather than as alternatives. A specification can quote all three. See FEM and ISO duty classes for what the classes mean.

It is the directive behind CE marking of machinery in the EU, but EU machinery rules are being replaced by a new Machinery Regulation. Which one applies to your project has to be checked against the current requirements, so do not rely on an older specification. Raise this when you write your technical requirements, especially for a crane going to an EU site, and ask which rules the declaration of conformity refers to.