MINI GUIDE TO SAFETY

This mini guide has the purpose to give to installators and/or customers a most clear, fast and complete as possible vison on Directives, Standards and procedures to which machines and safety components are subject by helping them in the choise of the safety and protection devices (barriers) most suitable for the solution of their problem.

The subject are listed in order to give to installators and/or final customer the possibility of studing them deeply by consulting the original texts of Directives and Standards..

For a constant up-date we suggest to consult directly the technicians EL.IND.CO.

 

SAFETY ON WORK

• European Directives
• Risks evaluation
• Armonised Standards

 

European Directives :

The European Directives have the purpose of bringing near the national laws of the member States in order to have common rules about technical, fiscal and economical aspects making the free circulation of goods, services and people within the European Union easier, by respecting the common rules recognised by all the member States.

 

The Directives to be applied to safety components are :

 

The Machine Directive 2006/42/CE in force since 29th December 2009 says that all the machinery commercialized inside the European Community must respect the minimal safety requirements mentioned by the same Directive. Therefore the manufacturer must verify and supply all the technical documentation certifying the suitability of the machine before the machine goes out of the factory.

Warning : it is compulsory to follow the Machine Directive for the personal use of the machinery, as well.

 

The Low Tension Directive 20014/35/CE has the purpose to guarantee that the electrical materials are designed, manufactured and commercialized so as to assure the protection of people from strike dead risks.

The Directive is applied to all the electrical material to be used with a nominal tension between 50 V and 1000 V in alternate current

- 75 V and 1500 V in direct current.

 

The Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive 2014/30/CE has the purpose of guarantee that the electrical devices are designed, manufactured and commercialized so as the level of electromagnetic emission is limited and allows to other electric devices to work according to their purpose and that the level of immunity to external noises allows them to work according to the forseen purpose

The directive is applied to all electrical and electronical devices which can provoke electromagnetic noises or which functioning can be influenced by external interferences.

 

Definition of Directive : it defines the aims to be reached. It is a law and it must be so respected.

 

Definition of Standard : it defines the means to reach the aims requested by a Directive.

Millions of people are working for the technical innovation. The Standards always adapt themselves to the state of the art.

The Standards cannot limit or stop the technological development, they are not laws but they define the line-guide to reach an aim.

Risks evaluation :

The Standard EN ISO 14121 - 1 proposes a systematic procedure for the risks evaluation with the purpose of chosing and adopting the most suitable safety measures to reduce or eliminate the risk on operators' safety when using dangerous machines.

 

Procedure to reach the final aim :

 

1. Determination of the machine limits
2. Identification of the dangerous cases
3. Risks estimation
4. Risks analisys. In case of negative result come back to point 1.
5. Residual risks evaluation
6. If the machine is not safety yet, come back to point 1. Otherwise the aim is reached.

 

The maintenance of dangerous machines and the training of the personnel about the use of same is extremely important.

Armonised Standards :

The Standards define specific indications on every single element composing the machinery.

The European Standards about safety are divided into three groups :

Type A Standards : they specify the general principles of design to be applied to all types of machines

For example :

EN ISO 12100 - 1,2 Machine Safety - basic concepts and general principles of design

EN ISO 14121 - 1 Risk evaluation

 

Type B Standards

- B1 Standards : they are referred to a specific aspect of safety

For example

EN ISO 13855 Positionning of the electrosensitive safety devices as far as approach speed of body parts is concerned

EN ISO 13857 Safety distances for the protection of superior and inferior limbs

EN 60204 Safety of the electrical plants on the machine, etc...

EN ISO 13849 - 1,2 Elements of the control systems concerning safety

 

- B2 Standards : they are referred to safety devices

For example

EN 61496 - 1 Electrosensitive safety devices - general principles and tests

EN 61496 - 2 Electrosensitive safety devices - particular requirements on devices using optoelectronic active elements

EN 13850 Emergency stop devices

 

 

Type C Standards : they are referred to specific machine types

For example

EN 692 Mechanical Presses

EN 693 Hydraulic Presses

EN 415 Packaging machines

EN 415 - 4 Palletizers and de-palettizers

EN ISO 10218 Industrial robots

 

A type C Standard is always prior to type A and B Standards.

If type C Standards are not present, it is possible to reach the conformity to the Directive by using type A and B Standards.

SAFETY BARRIERS

• Main characteristics
• Choise of the product
• Particular configurations

 

The main characteristics of a safety barrier are : the resolution, the protected height, the typology, the reliability.

 

• The resolution is the ability of the barriers in reporting the presence within the protected area of an object which diameter is ≥ to the resolution indicated in the shield data (for example P040 resolution 40 mm). There are various resolutions: Finger, Hand, Arm, Body.
• The protected height varies depending from the height of the dangerous area to protect. The higher is the dangerous area the higher is the protected area. In this case the height is defined by the black glass in the front of the barrier.
• The typology of the barriers is mainly divided into Type 3 barriers (PL d) or Type 4 barriers (PL e).
• The reliability (PFHd) depends on many aspects referred to the product manufacturing.

The choise of the product depends on the risk evaluation. In accordance with the result obtained during the evaluation, it can be necessary to use one device instead of an other (Type 2 - Type 3 - Type 4).

Particular configurations

For some applications or working processes it is sometime necessary to add functions.

 

First example : a palletizer from which a finished pallet goes out (but at the same time nobody can approach into the Dangerous Area) requires for sure the use of a safety system with the function Muting. To go into the question we suggest to see also the section Muting Function.

 

Second example : a fence on three sides to protect the access to a dangerours area. It is realised with a safety barrier and two deviation mirrors SPV 100

 

Third example : we can manufacture barriers with special conformations :

asymmetrical, bent, arched, fan-shaped linear - arched - cut, bi-zone, on customer's request.

The project department EL.IND.CO. will study the most suitable solution for your application.
Do not hesitate to contact our project service at telephone number +39 039-2457587 or send an e-mail to tecnico@elindco.it.