Machinery safety has come a long way since the first directive was issued in 1989 and along with the change in technological advances in machinery controls by the manufacturers of control systems, likewise there has been a significant advancement in the area of harmonised standards related to machinery safety.
When we originally considered machinery safety controls our first thoughts back then were to guarding, emergency stops, gate interlocks and other ancillary controls which we identified the need for through risk assessments, again based upon older bench marking standards such as EN 1050, which was deemed to be and indeed was, sufficient for the purposes we employed the safe guards to protect.
Since then, technology has advanced to such an extent that the operating functions of machinery have become more automated and componentry faster in action, which requires an equivalent and corresponding safety related control system(s), identified through an adequate type or types of risk assessment.
Experience has shown us that machinery related to manufacturing or he processing industry, can better be described as assemblies of machines, since the manufacturing “package” consists of a small to medium number of machines, coupled together to create a constructive whole.
ncludes: –
- Drawings
- Measurements
- Photographs
- Samples (dust, fluids etc.)
- Defective Components
- Witness Statements
- Gardai Sketches etc