The question of lockout and the use of safety PLCs as a means to meet the lockout requirements comes up more and more frequently these days. Can Safety PLCs be used for lockout? Safety professionals don’t always agree on this controversial topic!
During the Free Safety Talks that we did with Schmersal Canada and Franklin Empire, this hot question came up, so I thought I’d cover it off in a video. If you need some specific help with an application like this, please get in touch with Doug directly.
There is a lot to say, and in this video I try to cover off the reasons why Safety PLCs and Lockout don’t always mix well.
Notes
Ontario Regulation 851, Industrial Establishments
CSA Z432, Safeguarding of Machinery
CSA Z460, Control of hazardous energy – Lockout and other methods
ISO 13849 – 2, Safety of machinery — Safety-related parts of control systems — Part 2: Validation
Questions? Leave a comment below or email Doug.
Thanks Doug. Between talking with you last week and watching this video, I’ve learned a lot. Lol… Lost me on the math part, but, I understood the general concept of what you were trying to say. A very well done topic. Thank you!
Hey Frank,
Don’t worry – the calculations aren’t the heart of the story – the comparison between the reliability figures and the fact that CSA Z460 calls for lockout devices to be exclusively mechanical is the important part. Until there is sufficient real-world data on the application of hybrid devices with mechanical, electronic and software elements, we are not going to have enough information to know if these systems can be used in high-risk applications. Until then, a high level of mechanical reliability is required.
Glad you found the video helpful. Let me know if you have any other questions!