image: Advanced Recycling Machines Many manufacturers selling industrial products into the EU market have come to understand at least one of the environmental protection Directives, RoHS – the “Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances.” In this post, I’m going to be looking at another environmental directive: WEEE – the “Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment” Directive (2012/19/EU).…
Read MoreCE, Brexit, and Authorised Representatives
CE, Brexit and Authorised Representatives We’re just passing the T‑1 year mark on the UK’s journey towards leaving the EU. Some of my readers are “Leavers”, while others are “Remainers”, but for everyone living in the UK or doing business with the UK, there are many questions that remain unclear. To be fair, some of the…
Read MoreNew Directions in Plastics Machinery
Canada’s Participation in ISO TC 270 In February of 2016, Canada formed the SCC Mirror Committee (SMC) to ISO TC 270, Rubber and Plastics Machinery. This international technical committee is currently developing ISO 20430, the first international plastic injection moulding machine standard. Until the publication of ISO 20430, two standards have been fighting for dominance: EN 201, Plastics and…
Read MoreTesting Emergency Stop Systems
I’ve had a number of questions from readers regarding testing of emergency stop systems, and particularly with the frequency of testing. I addressed the types of tests that might be needed in another article covering Checking Emergency Stop Systems. This article will focus on the frequency of testing rather than the types of tests. The Problem Emergency…
Read MoreInconsistencies in ISO 13849 – 1:2006
I’ve written quite a bit recently on the topic of circuit architectures under ISO 13849 – 1, and one of my readers noticed an inconsistency between the text of the standard and Figure 5, the diagram that shows how the categories can span one or more Performance Levels. If you look at Category 2 in Figure 5, you will notice…
Read MoreBye, Steve. Thanks for everything!
Today marks a turning point for me. With the loss of Steve Jobs, the world is a lesser place. His brilliance, vision and charisma changed the world for the better in so many ways. As anyone who knows me well will tell you, I am a passionate Mac user. I became a believer in 1991 when my then-girlfriend introduced me to…
Read MoreCSA Z462 – Workplace Electrical Safety Public Review
CSA Z462 – Workplace Electrical Safety is now available for public review on the CSA web site. This standard is the Canadian implementation of NFPA 70E and IEEE P1584, covering electrocution and arc-flash hazards in the workplace. Public Review Draft of Z462-12 Because of the importance of the Z462 Standard to the electrical sector, CSA…
Read MoreRelative Radiation Doses – XKCD
Here’s a chart that shows the relative doses of radiation and the levels of external dose that is fatal. Thanks to XKCD for this great illustration!
MS101 Launches new Mobile Site
Compliance InSight and Machinery Safety 101 are proud to announce that we have launched a new mobile version of the MS101 blog. Now you can get access to the full content of the blog on your mobile devices in a format that works with your device! We look forward to hearing from you on your experience with…
Read MoreCSA Z1002 Public Review – Halfway there!
Only 30 days remain to review the draft of CSA Z1002!
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