Machine safety: Incorporating functional safety, part 1
When considering “functional safety,” look at what differs compared to other safety initiatives, consider U.S. versus international standards, examine conformance responsibilities, and think about what changes are needed, if any, as a manufacturer.
When considering “functional safety,” look at what differs compared to other safety initiatives, consider U.S. versus international standards, examine conformance responsibilities, and think about what changes are needed, if any, as a manufacturer.
- What is so different about “functional safety”?
- Are U.S. domestic standards adopting functional safety requirements from the international standards?
- Do the international standards place primary conformance responsibility on manufacturers like with OSHA?
- Do we have to change our machine safety program as a manufacturer to meet the compliance requirements?
Let’s take a look at these four questions addressing the first question here in Part 1.
Definition from IEC 61508-1 - Functional safety is “part of the overall safety relating to the equipment under control and the equipment under control’s control system which depends on the correct functioning of the Electrical/Electronic/Programmable Electronic safety-related systems, other technology safety-related systems and external risk reduction facilities”.
What is so different about “functional safety”?
Who has an answer or supporting comment about this question? From my perspective the major difference in approach is to design in machine safety and to take into consideration the life cycle performance of safety-related functions. This approach therefore brings into consideration factors such as; mean time to fail dangerous, diagnostics, reliable cycles, software and firmware and many more considerations for each component in a given safety-related circuit. A circuit is also considered as electrical, electronic, pneumatic, and hydraulic.
Prior methodologies did not take these factors into consideration in my opinion. Also, aren’t functional safety standards intended to encourage designers to focus more on the functions that are necessary to reduce each individual risk, and what performance is required for each function, rather than simply relying on particular components?
The primary standard addressing functional safety requirements is ISO 13849-1: 2006 Safety of machinery —Safety-related parts of control systems.
Have you found difficulty understanding any of these issues? Add your comments or thoughts to the discussion by submitting your ideas, experiences, and challenges in the comments section below.
Related articles:
Machine Safety – does OSHA reference consensus standards for compliance?
Machine Safety: Is OSHA okay with my 'acceptable' risk mitigation?
Contact: http://www.jbtitus.com for “Solutions for Machine Safety”.
- Related News:
Machine safety: Incorporating functional safety as part of your machine safety plan, Part 4 - 08.04.2013 07:00- Machine safety: Incorporating functional safety as part of your machine safety plan, Part 3 - 02.04.2013 14:57
- Machine safety: Incorporating functional safety, part 2 - 22.03.2013 17:07
Case Study Database
Get more exposure for your case study by uploading it to the Plant Engineering case study database, where end-users can identify relevant solutions and explore what the experts are doing to effectively implement a variety of technology and productivity related projects.
These case studies provide examples of how knowledgeable solution providers have used technology, processes and people to create effective and successful implementations in real-world situations. Case studies can be completed by filling out a simple online form where you can outline the project title, abstract, and full story in 1500 words or less; upload photos, videos and a logo.
Click here to visit the Case Study Database and upload your case study.
2012 Salary Survey
In a year when manufacturing continued to lead the economic rebound, it makes sense that plant manager bonuses rebounded. Plant Engineering’s annual Salary Survey shows both wages and bonuses rose in 2012 after a retreat the year before.
Average salary across all job titles for plant floor management rose 3.5% to $95,446, and bonus compensation jumped to $15,162, a 4.2% increase from the 2010 level and double the 2011 total, which showed a sharp drop in bonus.