Machine Safety Project Book

The machine safety project book includes the following sections within:

• Risk Assessment process, requirements and template
• Hierarchy level of control
  • Design out measures / Substitution
  • Engineering control – Guarding
  • Engineering control – Devices and safety aspects
  • Administrative measures and Lockout tagout
• Functional safety controls requirements
  • Safety requirements specification
  • Reliability, category and performance level
  • Safety programing requirements
  • Verification through schematics review, programing review and SISTEMA
• Safety validation requirements for risk reduction measures and template
• Specific safety requirements for high risk machines on the plant floor
• Inspection of risk reduction measures
• Management of change for safety
• Approved engineering control devices for use

Each section goes over the safety requirements set forth by the company’s EHS or Engineering team based on the local and national regulations, consensus standards and corporate safety documents.

The risk assessment section goes over the purpose of a risk assessment, explains the process, along with the methodology preferred by the end user to be followed in calculating the risk associated with the hazard. A template is included that provides the approach and layout that the end user prefers, that ensures consistency on the methodology followed either nationally or globally at the end user facility.

The guarding and energy control section, goes over the requirements for guarding (fixed, interlocked, etc.) engineering control devices (interlocks, light curtains, etc.), engineering control functions (minimum distance, height of fence, etc.) and alternative control measures. Requirements for design, application, installation and support/maintenance of engineering control devices is included.

Functional safety controls, when the risk reduction measures being used, perform a controls related safety functions; we need to determine the reliability, category and performance level of each of the safety functions. The category, reliability and performance of the safety function, should be designed to in accordance with the respective level of risk of the hazard(s) it is protecting. The higher the risk is at the zone, the higher the reliability/performance of the safety function needs to be and vice versa. Guidance is provided on the performance level / category / reliability required and what safety measures (basic, well tried, structure, etc.) are needed for each level along with examples

Safety requirements for high risk machines, this section goes over best practices to safeguarding specific machines the user has a concern with internally within the organizations. Example, if the user has had 10 near misses on a palletizing machine, then specific best practices geared to palletizing machines would be included. Requirements include minimum risk reduction measures needed for specific machines, their reliability , various level of access control (jog, manual suspension, etc.) and personnel training needed per machine, various safeguarding measures needed per machine at minimum, etc.

Functional safety validation, goes over the development of the validation document and the testing requirements for each engineering control device/function and the expected outcome. After developing the validation document, it needs to be performed by a qualified person with strong safety experience in machine safety controls. The safety functions are then tested under fault conditions to ensure that the dangerous failures the control system is designed to detect, is properly setup, wired or/and programed.