This series delves into the simplicity and the complexity that is the ‘Emergency Stop’ safety function. This is one of the most common and most frequently misunderstood control functions in machine design.
I am always looking for interesting examples of machinery safety problems to share on MS101. Recently I was scrolling Reddit/r/OSHA and found these three real-world examples. Broken Emergency Stop Buttons The first and most obvious kinds of failures are those resulting from either wear out or damage to emergency stop devices like e-stop buttons or pull […]
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 devices, the pull-cord is probably the most misapplied emergency stop device. Local […]
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 […]