HAZARDOUS AREAS & SAFETY FEATURE NO IFs, OR BUTs, WHEN IT COMES TO SAFETY


According to Martin Walder, VP Industry, Schneider Electric, today more than ever, machine safety can directly impact user productivity and company reputation. As a result, it must be prioritised at every stage of a machine’s lifecycle from design through to maintenance - no ifs, no buts


I


n an industry with tight legislation, achieving optimum safety with the


smallest possible risk is the goal, though in the past this was not possible to achieve. The challenge today is twofold: selecting machinery and processes that meet an adequate level of safety to achieve compliance, and ensuring that teams across the organisation have sufficient safety application knowledge. With the spotlight being placed on


machine and plant safety through the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, we’re starting to see improvements, in fact the number of fatal injuries and death has fallen by 85% between 1974 and 2016. This progress has ensured that modern


plant engineering, safety components and systems are no longer installed only to satisfy the minimum requirements, but to anticipate future legislation and enhance the reputation and image of the entire industry.


in a plant employing skilled workers might be unacceptable in an environment where members of the public, including children, might be present. Any risk assessment that takes place should identify the limits and potential hazards of the machinery; ascertain who would be harmed by the hazards identified; and prioritise the risks according to their severity and potential for harm. Whilst many companies develop internal


expertise, it is often beneficial to engage third parties risk assessors, not just for their wider experience but to provide an independent and holistic perspective.


REDUCING RISK IN DESIGN Beyond risk reduction, elimination can sometimes be achieved by removing hazards as part of an inherently safe design. Furthermore, automating some tasks, such as machine loading can also eliminate further hazards. However,


Reducing risk and eliminating hazards is key


Martin Walder says that embedding risk assessment and


reduction processes with safeguarding practices and the latest technology, will go a long way to ensure better performance and protection of the industrial environment


‘While the issue of machine and plant safety continues to evolve, OEMs and end-users alike face a number of big decisions as they juggle the need to keep people safe, with the pressure to create lean operations’


However, due to cost incurred as a result of compensation for injured employees, increased insurance premiums, lost custom or even damage to reputation, the safety market is expected to grow 7.5% by 20201


. This means there is still a lot we


can learn and improve on. For engineers to become more confident


in their ability to build safe, legal and efficient machines, they must conform to the following steps. Only then will productivity and the industry’s reputation stay intact and the safety of engineers remain a priority long term.


A HOLISTIC PERSPECTIVE Risk assessment is an essential step in machine safety, but it’s no precise science. There are multiple techniques. The various National, European and International standards available to offer guidance in this subject often specify some general principles, but doesn’t specify exactly what should be done in every case. That is because the risks that might be reasonable


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businesses should also make sure that they don’t end up substituting one hazard for another. For example, air-powered tools may provide a safer environment than dealing with electricity, but they can introduce other hazards from the use of compressed air.


PLANNING AHEAD Where inherently safe design is not practicable, safeguarding is the next best


step to prevent people from coming into contact with hazards. This can include fixed guarding, interlocked guarding, and presence sensing to prevent unexpected machine start-up. This helps facilitate an industrial environment where safety is at the centre of all operations. While the issue of machine and plant safety continues to evolve, OEMs and end users alike face a number of big decisions as they juggle the need to keep people safe, with the pressure to create an optimal and lean operating environment. Slowly but surely, progress is being


made, with the UK reporting a downward trend in the rate of fatal injury over the last 20 years. Although in recent times, this figure shows signs of levelling off - indicating a need to revisit and renew the procedures and requirements for achieving optimum machine safety.


MEASURED AND MANAGEABLE In the coming months, organisations must be put through their paces during assessments to ensure that the risks they are taking are properly measured and manageable. On the market, there are numerous strategies and instruments available for risk management that organisations must begin to deploy. For example, engineers must now seek strategic risk management through dedicated risk managers that can build a customised strategy based on assessments of an organisation’s unique risk tolerance. These strategies can be executed by utilising best practices, strong governance and sound reporting strategies. Organisations must remember, we are here to help not hinder. To establish a culture where safety and


1 IHS Technology, Machine-safety in factory automation – January 2015


There are numerous strategies, equipment and instruments for managing risk in the field


risk management remains at the core, industry must continue to invest in practical safety measures, but also in education, to ensure employees are aware of the risks. In turn, this will help to safeguard and future-proof the reputation of the industrial environment in the long term.


Schneider Electric www.schneider-electric.co.uk


PROCESS & CONTROL | MAY 2017 21


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