Steps to safe machinery

Posted on Friday 1 January 2010

Precise knowledge of what is technically feasible and what is permitted from a legal perspective is a prerequisite for designing safety technology that will offer the greatest possible potential for productive machine operation.

The first step to machinery safety under the terms of the Machinery Directive is always the risk assessment, which can be used to estimate the individual risks regarding the operation and functionality of machinery in accordance with the applicable standards.

The quantitative approach of Pilz’s “Hazard rating numbers” (PHR) makes sense when it comes to also determining those risks that cannot be reduced through control measures, but only by using covers or fences for example. The PHR procedure introduced by Pilz, with its corresponding assessment figures, is used for a strictly objective and practicable estimation of a plant’s risk.

The machine manufacturer must then design and construct the machine to take account of his assessment.

Pilz has developed a flowchart entitled “Functional Safety with EN ISO 12100, 13489-1 and EN/IEC 32601” to help explain how safety functions can be evaluated and verified with EN ISO 12100, 13489-1 and EN/IEC 32601 at a glance.