3.0
Machine safety
To make it easier to access important safety standards for machinery, the following sections provide key rules from these standards, along with straightforward illustrations.
Conducting risk assessment early improves machine safety
It can be very difficult to integrate safe operation into the overall functional and operating concept later on.
In fact, safety measures added during the final stages of the project often impair operation and efficiency. It is better to think about potential hazards from the beginning and start thinking of solutions as early as possible.
This process of identifying hazards, determining their risk potential and then reducing or eliminating such risks is referred to as “risk assessment”.
The basic steps are:
- Eliminate the hazard, if possible.
- If you cannot eliminate the hazard, lock the hazard in or lock the people out.
- If you cannot keep people out, monitor their presence near the hazard to stop it in time.
In the past, engineers normally did not follow a methodical approach to safety issues. Since stricter regulations and standards on product safety were introduced during the 1990s, “risk assessment” has become the most important step towards safe products and conformity with regulations.
Five steps to conduct a risk assessment
Most regulations and standards on the subject require five steps to be taken in risk assessment.
- Determine the limits of the machinery, including the intended use and potential misuse.
- Identify the hazards generated and the associated hazardous situation.
- Estimate the risks, considering the severity of possible injuries and the probability of their occurrence.
- Evaluate the risks and determine whether risk reduction is required.
- Eliminate the hazards or reduce the risk associated with these hazards by applying protective measures.
