This International Standard presents definitions of terms and specifies safety requirements and test procedures applicable to hand-fed powered shredders and chippers, including those which have vacuum assisted collection and are used in a stationary position and are designed primarily for use with organic material at and around the home. This international Standard does not apply to shredders and chippers with feed openings greater than 400 mm × 400 mm measured at the relevant safety distance to the cutting means.

This International Standard does not specify requirements for units powered by an external power source or for powered discharge units intended to broadcast material or load vehicles. Mechanically powered feed intake machines or attachments are excluded from this International Standard, as are machines for which the cutting means is either one or more non-metallic filaments, or one or more non-metallic cutting elements pivotally mounted on a generally circular central drive unit, where these cutting elements rely on centrifugal force to achieve cutting, and have a kinetic energy for each single cutting means of less than 10 J.

The electrical aspects of electrically powered shredder/grinders and shredder/baggers having a voltage exceeding 42 V d.c. or mains connected are not covered by this International Standard.