Legislation and Standards
Relevant Legislations and Standards for Safety in Manufacturing
Whether intended for use in North America or in Europe, industrial machinery must comply with minimum safety guidelines. These guidelines can be grouped into three main categories – electrical safety, mechanical safety and electromagnetic compatibility. Unfortunately for the manufacturer, the particular guidelines for installation in North America differ from those in Europe, as do the methods for indicating compliance. In North America, compliance is generally obtained through the use of independent, third-party testing organizations, such as UL, ETL and CSA. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recognizes these organizations as having the technical capability and expertise in conducting an investigation to a particular standard.
In Canada, organizations are similarly evaluated to the PALCAN program by the Standards Council of Canada. Upon successful completion of the investigation, a report is issued describing the critical components of the product and the tests that were conducted and allows the manufacturer to claim compliance.
There is also a considerable volume of legislation that applies to the safety of industrial machinery and equipment in Europe. However, there are two Directives of particular significance - most suppliers and users of machinery will simply not be allowed to supply or operate machinery in these countries unless they conform to these directives. These are: The Machinery Directive, and The Use of Work Equipment by Workers at Work Directive.
Understanding Changing Standards EN954 -1 to EN ISO 13849
Click here to download our Safety Performance Levels brochure and learn more about the changing standards EN954-1 to EN ISO 13849-1.
|
Learn about the relevant safety regulations within the US, Canada and Europe. This book will also provide guidance on how to formulate your safety strategy.
Download this guide
|
|
The basic Functional Safety standard, along with new sector-specific standards, have gained widespread acceptance; the adoption of these standards clears the way for computer controls to be used for functional safety systems. Instead of a chain of wires connecting electromechanical switches, sophisticated computer controls can now be used in functional safety systems. Computer controls provide up-to-the-second data that reduce downtime, catch problems before they occur, and improve overall employee safety.
View the rest of this article by Safety Expert Heinz Gall of TÜV Rheinland
|
|
The standards that define PLs (performance levels) and SILs (safety integrity levels) both cover safety-related electrical control systems, producing the same or similar results – albeit via different methods. This gives users an option to choose the one most suitable for their application. The outputs of both standards offer comparable levels of safety performance or integrity with each standard offering differences that are appropriate for their intended users.
Read the full article
|