Working in a safe environment free of recognized hazards is something that we all should be thankful for this Thanksgiving; unfortunately this is not the case for everyone. Failing to meet general machine guarding requirements as called out in OSHA 1910.212 continues to be among the top 10 most citied violations in 2019. Though some violations are due to negligence, others are due to honest misinterpretation of the many different safety codes, standards and regulations.
With automation processes taking leaps and bounds in what types of activities can be performed, safety guidelines have too been progressing. For example, ISO 14119 provides direction on how to physically install different types of interlock devices depending on actuator options available from the manufacture and ISO 13849 calls for calculations on the probability of failures per hour for the components used within a given safety system. These are concepts that were not taken into account just a few years ago.
It can be an overwhelming task when trying to determine which ISO, ANSI, NFPA, .etc standard to apply in order to adhere to the rather vague OSHA requirements. Where to start and how to actually implement what is being asked of you are some of the common questions that tend to come up.
Having the proper guidance from the start can not only provide ease of mind but can also prevent having to redo control measures repeatedly until the right one is in place.