Force represents the mechanical energy that causes injury to the human body. ISO/TC 199 has been working on answering that question since 2012.
Read MoreInstructions for Use – the New ISO 20607
Instructions are one of the basic items that users expect to get when they purchase a product, and yet these important documents are often poorly written, badly translated, and incomplete. Key product features are badly described, and information on features, settings and hazards may be absent. All of this despite the fact that the minimum requirements…
Read MoreCan Emergency Stop be used as an “on/off” control?
Every couple of months I get an email asking me if there is any reason why e‑stop functions can’t be used as the primary power control (on/off button) for machinery. Following a recent exchange, I thought I would share the reasons for why this is such a bad idea. The short answer The short answer is an unequivocal NO. Don’t…
Read MoreIntroduction to Functional Safety Seminars
If you are interested in functional safety, and I know many readers are based on the statistics I see for my other functional safety-related posts, I think you will be interested in this. I am collaborating with the IEEE Product Safety Engineering Society’s Virtual Chapter to provide a series of three 35 minute seminars discussing the fundamentals of functional safety. The…
Read MoreDo-It-Yourself Safety Labels, Signs and Tags
One of the great challenges that all product designers face is the sourcing of appropriate product safety labels. There are many sources for off-the-shelf labels including some of the biggest names in marking and labelling, but until now, none have offered a way for product manufacturers to develop standards-compliant hazard warning signs and labels themselves. If…
Read MoreEmergency Stop Pull-Cords
This article was updated 2019-04-26, adding specific details related to IEC 60947 – 5‑5. When it comes to emergency stop devices there is no doubt that the red mushroom-head push button is the most common – they seem to be everywhere. The second most common emergency stop device is the pull-cord, and like the light-curtain in safeguarding…
Read MoreTrapped Key Interlocking
Many machine designers think of interlocks as exclusively electrical devices; a switch is attached to a movable mechanical guard, and the switch is connected to the control system. Trapped Key Interlocking is a way to interlock guards that is equally effective, and often more appropriate in severe environmental conditions. Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2018Acknowledgements: As cited.Some Rights ReservedOriginal content here is published under…
How to Apply a Safety Edge to a Machine Guard – Part 3: Stopping Performance
In Part 2 of this article, I looked at the pressure-sensitive devices (safety edges) themselves. This part explores the stopping performance requirements that engineers and technologists need to consider when applying these devices. Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2018Acknowledgements: As cited in the text.Some Rights ReservedOriginal content here is published under these license terms: X License Type:Non-commercial, Attribution, Share AlikeLicense Abstract:You may copy this content,…
How to Apply a Safety Edge to a Machine Guard – Part 2: Design Considerations
In Part 1 of this article, I looked at the pressure-sensitive devices (safety edges) themselves. This part explores the design requirements that engineers and technologists need to consider when applying these devices. Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2018Acknowledgements: As cited in the text.Some Rights ReservedOriginal content here is published under these license terms: X License Type:Non-commercial, Attribution, Share AlikeLicense Abstract:You may copy this content, create…
How to Apply a Safety Edge to a Machine Guard – Part 1: Pressure-sensitive devices
Safety Edges are often forgotten as safeguarding devices. Most machinery engineers and designers are familiar with interlocking devices and light curtains, but once we step away from the familiar, our understanding of how to apply safeguarding devices like a safety edge becomes a bit foggy. Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2018Acknowledgements: SafeInd, IEC, ISO, Rockwell Automatio more…Some Rights ReservedOriginal content here is published…