What’s Up With Wireless Safety? Comment: Failsafe, Yes, But a Nuisance?

Wireless communication has been around for several years, experiencing many ups and downs. Today – it’s largely considered just another communications bus with its own set of design and application criteria. Its maturity and acceptability has now created the launching pad for adding safety functionality over wireless. A handful of suppliers have recently shown some new products and claiming the possibility of significant savings via wireless communication with safety while simultaneously maintaining safety compliance. These wireless applications even include such safety related features as “stop” and “emergency stop”. Even our standards community is beginning to respond with updated application requirements following trends originating in Europe.

Are we in the U.S. really ready? Are you ready? What does your local OSHA representative have to say about these new developments? Do you want to continue your current higher cost application in these economic times?

Let’s hear from you!