This European Standard has been prepared to provide a means of conforming with the essential safety requirements of the Machinery Directive and associated EFTA regulations. Purchasers ordering to this standard are advised to specify in their purchasing contract that the supplier operates a certified quality assurance system applicable to the relevant part of this standard (e.g. EN ISO 9001) to ensure themselves that products claiming to comply consistently achieve the required level of quality. While producing this standard it was assumed that negotiation occurs between the manufacturer and the user to decide whether the thimble shall have a pointed or truncated end and whether zinc coating is required.