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06/06/2005
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Many manufacturers want to take action to improve the safety of their machinery but are unsure where to start. Training courses are often the best place to start, writes Dean Palmer
With legislation and standards regarding the safe design of machinery constantly changing, design engineers, machine builders and equipment manufacturers need to stay abreast of what these changes are and how it impacts their business and customers. A number of UK companies are now staging training courses and seminars on machinery safety to try to help these manufacturers fulfil their obligations.
The British Automation and Robotics Association (BARA) for example, recently held a unique 'Machine Safety and Functional Safety Conference' at the University of Warwick, with speakers from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), Land Rover, SIRA, Pilz and Elite Control Systems. Dr Richard Piggin, chairman of BARA's safety special interest group commented: "BARA's first three machine safety seminars were extremely successful, but this latest event covered functional safety in far greater depth. Functional safety is core to IEC/EN 61508 and IEC 62061, yet the concept is alien to many machine builders and systems integrators. Furthermore, EN 954-1 is still current and its planned replacement [ISO 13849-1] has been delayed, partly due to controversy over its complexity compared with EN 954-1."
BARA is holding further events later in the year
Standards relating to machinery guarding is another key area often overlooked by machine builders and design engineers. UK-based machine guards supplier Proctor Machinery Guarding is offering a free guide to these standards, available as a PDF document. The 'On Your Guard' guide reflects the changes in guarding standards, with particular reference to conveyor guarding, and highlights the importance of guarding and how well-designed guards can enhance productivity, while also ensuring operator safety.
The guide looks very useful and apart from giving readers the basics, also offers guidance on where machine designers should look for more advice on specific topics. Copies can be requested by e-mailing standards@proctorbedwas.co.uk
If you're a process manufacturer, another key event to watch out for is the 'Safety, Standards & Regulations' event being held in September this year in Manchester. Sponsored by ABB, the event will examine, on a global scale, the complex and challenging issues faced by industry in maintaining the safety performance of processes while increasing profitability.
Global end user companies and asset owners will converge on the event to discuss how they address regulations and what more needs to be done in order to keep abreast of the standards, technology and regulatory regimes. Topics to be discussed include safety technologies; compliance to standards and regulations; safety supply chains; practical experiences of implementing IEC 61508/IEC 61511; lessons learnt from safety life cycle implementations; and case studies related to safety projects. E-mail sally.stapleton@gb.abb.com for more details of the event.
With safety networks another key priority for manufacturers, the ODVA, a global standards organisation comprising most of the world's leading automation companies, that exists to support the use of network technologies based on the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP), played its part in updating visitors to its stand at Hanover on the safety extensions to the CIP, focussing on updates on Ethernet/IP safety.
CIP safety is already available for DeviceNet networks and a range of DeviceNet safety devices - safety I/O blocks, safety interlock switches, safety light curtains and safety PLCs - but because all CIP networks are interoperable with one another and have seamless bridging and routing, Ethernet/IP systems can be used in conjunction with DeviceNet Safety systems and as a backbone between multiple DeviceNet Safety subnets.
For machine designers that want a more general update on machinery standards and regulations, Pilz Automation Technology is offering a series of one-day general training courses that equip delegates with knowledge that will enable them to meet the requirements of the current, relevant regulations and harmonised standards for the design of new machinery.
Key topics covered include the legal obligations for machine builders and suppliers; the three main standards relating to machinery design and manufacture and other important standards that manufacturers need to be aware of. Also part of the course is a session that gives delegates an understanding of how to perform a basic risk assessment in compliance with the requirements of BS EN 1050.
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Author
Tom Shelley
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