NPES, the Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies, has published newly revised B65 safety standards, titled Graphic technology – Safety requirements for graphic technology equipment and systems, updated via national adoptions of the current ISO 12643 series. The B65 standards, modified with specific requirements for the US market, which are noted throughout and compiled in separate annexes, are as follows:

B65-1:2011 Part 1: General requirements provides safety specifications for the design and construction of new equipment used in prepress systems, printing press systems, binding and finishing systems, converting systems and stand-alone platen presses. These requirements are applicable to equipment covered in the additional parts and should be used in conjunction with the applicable part of the B65 series that contains additional requirements specific to a particular type of equipment.

B65-2:2011 Part 2: Prepress and press equipment and systems provides additional safety requirements for the design and construction of new prepress and press equipment, and the auxiliary equipment integrated into the press control system.

B65-3:2011 Part 3: Binding and finishing equipment and systems provides additional safety requirements for the design and construction of new equipment used to convert printed or blank substrates into cut, folded, collated, assembled, bound, or otherwise finished product; applicable also to processes that prepare substrate for the printing process.

B65-5:2011 Part 5: Stand-alone platen presses provides additional press design safety requirements for the design and construction of new manually-fed or automatic stand-alone platen press systems intended for diecutting, creasing, embossing, foil stamping and/or printing of paper, board and other materials processed in a similar manner.

This work was completed by the ANSI-accredited B65 Committee, which consists of several subcommittees that address safety for printing press systems, cutting machines and stand-alone platen presses, as well as binding and finishing systems. NPES administers the B65 Committee, which is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and develops national standards relating to the safety of equipment used in the printing and binding/finishing process. The work of the B65 Committee often forms the basis for, or provides significant input into the development of standards for the International Organization for Standardization’s Technical Committee 130 (Graphic Technology).

The newly revised B65 standards are available for purchase from NPES. For more information, visit the NPES Standards Workroom or email Debbie Orf, NPES assistant director of standards.