Machine Safety
|
Join this ongoing discussion of machine guarding topics, including solutions assessments, regulatory compliance, gap analysis, operating efficiencies and cost savings, as well as all relevant safety standards, such as those from NFPA, ANSI, RIA, IEC, ISO and OSHA. About
Wireless Control and Wireless Safety!
December 20, 2010
Safe wireless (also known as safe cableless) is often applied to a machine using a “zone” concept to reduce the wireless communication distance. As wireless machine communications increase, application questions include the following. » more
( 1 Comment )
December 20, 2010
Safe wireless (also known as safe cableless) is often applied to a machine using a “zone” concept to reduce the wireless communication distance. As wireless machine communications increase, application questions include the following. » more
( 1 Comment )
Functional Safety - A New "Mark" From UL
December 17, 2010
UL offers functional safety certification. » more
( No Comments )
December 17, 2010
UL offers functional safety certification. » more
( No Comments )
Integrated Machine Safety – or Not!
December 03, 2010
How will the 2011 updated NFPA 79, Electrical Standard for Industrial Machinery, affect arguments for and against a fully integrated architecture for safety and general control? » more
( No Comments )
December 03, 2010
How will the 2011 updated NFPA 79, Electrical Standard for Industrial Machinery, affect arguments for and against a fully integrated architecture for safety and general control? » more
( No Comments )
E-Stops Aren’t Safety Devices
November 30, 2010
While safety experts say machine safety e-stops are not safety devices, folks in industry pretty much all seem to think e-stops are safety devices because of their function. Ask yourself these three questions. » more
( No Comments )
November 30, 2010
While safety experts say machine safety e-stops are not safety devices, folks in industry pretty much all seem to think e-stops are safety devices because of their function. Ask yourself these three questions. » more
( No Comments )
Machine safety and your safety culture
November 12, 2010
How's your machine safety culture? Have you heard anyone say: My hand is quicker than the machine, production is more important than safety, we don't need machine guards because... » more
( No Comments )
November 12, 2010
How's your machine safety culture? Have you heard anyone say: My hand is quicker than the machine, production is more important than safety, we don't need machine guards because... » more
( No Comments )
Machine Safety - Hard Guarding Is Best - Right?
November 09, 2010
While hard guarding can be best for machine safety in some applications, a risk assessment will help assess which technologies should be applied to achieve tolerable risk. This can be where trouble often begins. » more
( No Comments )
November 09, 2010
While hard guarding can be best for machine safety in some applications, a risk assessment will help assess which technologies should be applied to achieve tolerable risk. This can be where trouble often begins. » more
( No Comments )
As An OEM – Can I Choose Which Standards?
October 25, 2010
This is a frequent question where an OEM is approaching a new design or new machine. And, often this is the case when it’s a start-up OEM. So, what’s the answer? Several years back for me I would usually start my reply with “Well, it depends!” Those OEM meetings were usually pretty short. Today, I’ve learned to conduct some analysis of what the OEM is... » more
( No Comments )
October 25, 2010
This is a frequent question where an OEM is approaching a new design or new machine. And, often this is the case when it’s a start-up OEM. So, what’s the answer? Several years back for me I would usually start my reply with “Well, it depends!” Those OEM meetings were usually pretty short. Today, I’ve learned to conduct some analysis of what the OEM is... » more
( No Comments )
Risk Assessment Documentation & the new European Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC
October 07, 2010
The European Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC clearly calls out the requirements for the “Technical File”. Per this new Directive companies should consider that the risk assessment is required compliance documentation. This requirement is specifically detailed in the General Principles section of Annex I. In the earlier Directive there was always a need to... » more
( No Comments )
October 07, 2010
The European Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC clearly calls out the requirements for the “Technical File”. Per this new Directive companies should consider that the risk assessment is required compliance documentation. This requirement is specifically detailed in the General Principles section of Annex I. In the earlier Directive there was always a need to... » more
( No Comments )
Trouble Implementing ISO 13849-1; 2006 per the European Machinery Directive
September 30, 2010
The European Machinery Directive clearly calls out the required transition from EN 954 to ISO 13849-1 by December 2011. With that said, some companies in the U.S. are currently struggling with conformance to the B10 requirement for simple components in order to determine their impact on the related safety performance level. Ironically, this week I’m in... » more
( No Comments )
September 30, 2010
The European Machinery Directive clearly calls out the required transition from EN 954 to ISO 13849-1 by December 2011. With that said, some companies in the U.S. are currently struggling with conformance to the B10 requirement for simple components in order to determine their impact on the related safety performance level. Ironically, this week I’m in... » more
( No Comments )
Updating Minds About Machine Safety
September 24, 2010
The Machine Safety segment of industry over the past ten to fifteen years has experienced phenomenal growth of product innovation, solutions for hazard mitigation, and industry regulations, to mention a few. On a global basis anyone can access information and participate in forums in order to understand this evolution of machine guarding solutions.... » more
( 1 Comment )
September 24, 2010
The Machine Safety segment of industry over the past ten to fifteen years has experienced phenomenal growth of product innovation, solutions for hazard mitigation, and industry regulations, to mention a few. On a global basis anyone can access information and participate in forums in order to understand this evolution of machine guarding solutions.... » more
( 1 Comment )
Product Safety Certificates - Like SIL - What’s Their Purpose?
September 14, 2010
In the news recently there’s been some buzz about the product safety certificates around questions like: 1.) Are these safety certificates required by insurance companies? 2.) Are these safety certificates required by industry standards? 3.) Are these safety... » more
( No Comments )
September 14, 2010
In the news recently there’s been some buzz about the product safety certificates around questions like: 1.) Are these safety certificates required by insurance companies? 2.) Are these safety certificates required by industry standards? 3.) Are these safety... » more
( No Comments )
Designing In Machine Guarding
August 31, 2010
Which is bottom line friendly whether you’re a large company or small - machine guarding as a pre-thought or after-thought? In reading Jeanine Katzel’s excellent feature article this month for Control Engineering titled “How To Integrate Safety,” I was reminded when I first met the Director, Safety Engineering Services for Johnson & Johnson. This was... » more
( No Comments )
August 31, 2010
Which is bottom line friendly whether you’re a large company or small - machine guarding as a pre-thought or after-thought? In reading Jeanine Katzel’s excellent feature article this month for Control Engineering titled “How To Integrate Safety,” I was reminded when I first met the Director, Safety Engineering Services for Johnson & Johnson. This was... » more
( No Comments )
Machine Guarding Upgrades – I’ll have to do them all!
August 27, 2010
Four manageable influences to considering a new machine guarding strategy or program are .... » more
( No Comments )
August 27, 2010
Four manageable influences to considering a new machine guarding strategy or program are .... » more
( No Comments )
B10s at work for machine guarding
August 20, 2010
Here's a sneak preview of a few of the new requirements transforming machine guarding in the U.S. from a qualitative approach to a quantitative approach and more similar to the process industry. » more
( No Comments )
August 20, 2010
Here's a sneak preview of a few of the new requirements transforming machine guarding in the U.S. from a qualitative approach to a quantitative approach and more similar to the process industry. » more
( No Comments )
Machine safety... who is responsible?
August 12, 2010
Those responsible for machine safety has certainly varied over the past several decades. Answers that may come to mind include OSHA, the employer, employees, or even machine and plant system builders. Is the answer to machine safety top down, bottom up, or both? » more
( 2 Comments )
August 12, 2010
Those responsible for machine safety has certainly varied over the past several decades. Answers that may come to mind include OSHA, the employer, employees, or even machine and plant system builders. Is the answer to machine safety top down, bottom up, or both? » more
( 2 Comments )
Machine safety and asset management
August 10, 2010
Aren’t these two terms, machine safety and asset management, in opposition to each other? If so, then what the devil is meant by this title? Four steps can help those with responsibilities in both areas: Here's how. » more
( 3 Comments )
August 10, 2010
Aren’t these two terms, machine safety and asset management, in opposition to each other? If so, then what the devil is meant by this title? Four steps can help those with responsibilities in both areas: Here's how. » more
( 3 Comments )
Residual risk is alive and ever present in machine safety
August 03, 2010
Machine safety and product safety are alike when it comes to the issue of residual risk. Engineers are supposed to hold public safety as paramount and prevent bad things from happening. How? » more
( No Comments )
August 03, 2010
Machine safety and product safety are alike when it comes to the issue of residual risk. Engineers are supposed to hold public safety as paramount and prevent bad things from happening. How? » more
( No Comments )
Life cycle safety engineering
July 13, 2010
Because global and competitive issues are driving more companies to evaluate the life cycle cost of equipment ownership, life cycle safety engineering becomes an important aspect of the cost of ownership. » more
( No Comments )
July 13, 2010
Because global and competitive issues are driving more companies to evaluate the life cycle cost of equipment ownership, life cycle safety engineering becomes an important aspect of the cost of ownership. » more
( No Comments )
Cableless (Wireless) Operator Panel Applications
April 02, 2010
Cableless (wireless) operator panels for machine applications, in my opinion, need special application considerations for appropriate and safe use. True, we often talk about how a wireless field bus and a wired field bus have many similarities. Even when they are safety certified for functional safety applications they continue to have many... » more
( 1 Comment )
April 02, 2010
Cableless (wireless) operator panels for machine applications, in my opinion, need special application considerations for appropriate and safe use. True, we often talk about how a wireless field bus and a wired field bus have many similarities. Even when they are safety certified for functional safety applications they continue to have many... » more
( 1 Comment )
Wireless Operator Panels & Machine Safety (Is There A Design & Build Standard?)
March 24, 2010
Wireless operator panels (including cableless) for machine applications have been steadily growing over the past several years. The early versions of these portable operator panels were cabled for power and control/communication which limited their range via the length of the cable. The concept was for a panel builder or engineering group to design and... » more
( No Comments )
March 24, 2010
Wireless operator panels (including cableless) for machine applications have been steadily growing over the past several years. The early versions of these portable operator panels were cabled for power and control/communication which limited their range via the length of the cable. The concept was for a panel builder or engineering group to design and... » more
( No Comments )
Machine Safety - Cableless vs Wireless
March 15, 2010
Machine Safety and “cableless” vs “wireless” has been an ongoing discussion over the past two years as this technology rapidly travels through its evolution cycles to the plant floor. Personally, I’ve sat in a dozen discussions over these two terms and how to choose a word that best describes the application as well as the issues. To wrestle this one to... » more
( No Comments )
March 15, 2010
Machine Safety and “cableless” vs “wireless” has been an ongoing discussion over the past two years as this technology rapidly travels through its evolution cycles to the plant floor. Personally, I’ve sat in a dozen discussions over these two terms and how to choose a word that best describes the application as well as the issues. To wrestle this one to... » more
( No Comments )
Machine Safety & Cableless (Wireless) Safety - with comments
February 24, 2010
Machine Safety and Cableless Operator Stations with Safety! Did I just say all of that in the same sentence? Is this Doctor Spoc in Star Trek or is it the 21st Century? Well, beam me up Scotty because my radar screen sees something on the horizon. For several years now we’ve seen applications of safety functions being performed in machine architectures... » more
( 1 Comment )
February 24, 2010
Machine Safety and Cableless Operator Stations with Safety! Did I just say all of that in the same sentence? Is this Doctor Spoc in Star Trek or is it the 21st Century? Well, beam me up Scotty because my radar screen sees something on the horizon. For several years now we’ve seen applications of safety functions being performed in machine architectures... » more
( 1 Comment )
EN 954-1: 1996 - Five Years Of Cessation
February 22, 2010
EN ISO 13849-1: 2006 was approved on or about October 2006 and simultaneously it was announced that EN 954-1: 1996 would cease to be an active standard at the end of 2008. Effectively this provided a two year period for industry (primarily in Europe) to transition to the new and incremental requirements of EN ISO 13849-1: 2006 for conformance to the... » more
( No Comments )
February 22, 2010
EN ISO 13849-1: 2006 was approved on or about October 2006 and simultaneously it was announced that EN 954-1: 1996 would cease to be an active standard at the end of 2008. Effectively this provided a two year period for industry (primarily in Europe) to transition to the new and incremental requirements of EN ISO 13849-1: 2006 for conformance to the... » more
( No Comments )
Machine Safety and “reasonably foreseeable misuse”
February 12, 2010
In the world of machine safety it is commonly understood today that a risk analysis is required by the supplier and/or end user to identify and mitigate all hazards to acceptable levels. We get numerous questions on this process around the question of how to address the intent of the term “reasonably foreseeable misuse”? This term is actually defined in... » more
( No Comments )
February 12, 2010
In the world of machine safety it is commonly understood today that a risk analysis is required by the supplier and/or end user to identify and mitigate all hazards to acceptable levels. We get numerous questions on this process around the question of how to address the intent of the term “reasonably foreseeable misuse”? This term is actually defined in... » more
( No Comments )
Machine Safety & Residual Risk
February 02, 2010
Residual risk is a term used for the past several years referring to a level of risk for a given hazard after applying protective measures (risk reduction measures). ANSI B11.TR3; 2000, ANSI B11 - 2008, ANSI / ISO 12100-1:2007, ISO 14121:2007, …..to mention a few, all tend to be harmonized on this definition. However, tolerable risk and acceptable risk... » more
( No Comments )
February 02, 2010
Residual risk is a term used for the past several years referring to a level of risk for a given hazard after applying protective measures (risk reduction measures). ANSI B11.TR3; 2000, ANSI B11 - 2008, ANSI / ISO 12100-1:2007, ISO 14121:2007, …..to mention a few, all tend to be harmonized on this definition. However, tolerable risk and acceptable risk... » more
( No Comments )
101 of 144