Professional cleaning machines, scrubber dryers and floor equipment

• Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 — Machinery
• Directive 2014/35/EU — Low Voltage
• Directive 2000/14/EC — outdoor noise where used outdoors
• Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 — Batteries
• Directive 2012/19/EU — WEEE

Who has to appoint one

Manufacturers outside the Union placing professional cleaning equipment on the EU market. These are machines with drive systems, so the machinery regime applies with a risk assessment and CE marking, and battery-powered models add producer responsibility in each country.

Thresholds and exemptions

None. Professional use does not reduce the obligations; labour inspectorates apply additional workplace requirements on top.

What must appear on the label

CE marking, manufacturer and EU representative details, designation, serial number and year of construction, rated power and voltage, the noise emission value where the noise Directive applies, the WEEE symbol and the battery markings.

Marketplace fields

Sold through distributors that require the declaration of conformity. Pressure washers sold to consumers additionally fall within the consumer product rules and are checked for lance safety and hose burst protection.

Documentation you must hold

EU declaration of conformity, technical file with the risk assessment covering entrapment, electrical and slip hazards, electrical and EMC test reports, noise test report where applicable, and battery, WEEE and packaging registrations.

Standards and testing

EN 60335-2-72 for machines for industrial and commercial use, EN 60335-2-79 for high pressure cleaners, EMC testing, noise measurement under the outdoor noise Directive, and IEC 62133 for lithium packs.

Language requirements

Instructions, warnings and maintenance information in the language of each member state where the machine is put into service.

When it applies

Before placing on the market. Machinery Regulation 2023/1230 applies from 20 January 2027.

How long records are kept

Ten years for the technical documentation.

What happens if you do not comply

Prohibition of use and withdrawal, plus labour inspectorate action where a machine in a workplace lacks instructions in the national language. Battery and WEEE failures bring separate national fines.

Who enforces it

Market surveillance authorities, labour inspectorates, WEEE and battery registers and customs.

Where the boundary lies

Ride-on sweepers and scrubbers can cross into vehicle rules where they are used on public roads, and pressure washers sold to consumers move from a professional to a consumer regime, which changes the warnings expected.

Questions we are asked

Does a battery scrubber need battery registration?

Yes, in every member state where it is placed on the market, alongside WEEE and packaging.

Is noise marking needed indoors?

The outdoor noise Directive applies to equipment for outdoor use. Indoor machines still declare noise emission in the instructions under the machinery rules.