SAFE USE OF MACHINERY

TOPICS
1) OPERATORS GUIDE
2) SAFETY IS MANAGEMENT TASK
3) INVOLVEMENT OF EMPLOYEE ON SAFETY
4) SAFETY DESIGN OF THE MACHINE
5) MACHINE LAWS AND DIRECTIVE
6) MACHINE USSERS
7) MACHINE OPERATING STANDARDS

FACILITATOR D KAPESO
Operators manual book.
Who is this guide for? This guide is aimed at manufacturers, users, designers, system
engineers, and all individuals who are responsible for machine safety. Use of the terms
“safety” and “safe” in this document According to ISO Guide 51, "The term “safe” is often
understood by the general public as the state of being protected from all hazards. However,
this is a misunderstanding: “safe” is rather the state of being protected from recognized
hazards that are likely to cause harm”.

Safety is a management task

Employers in industry are responsible for their employees as well as for smooth, cost-
effective production. Only if
• managers make safety part of everyday business activities will employees be
receptive to the subject.
• To improve sustainability, experts are therefore calling for the establishment of a
wide-ranging “safety culture” in the respective companies.
Involvement of the employees results in acceptance
It is extremely important that the needs of operators and maintenance personnel are taken
into consideration in the planning at concept level. Only an intelligent safety concept
matched to the work process and the personnel will result in the required acceptance.

Safe design of machinery

Manufacturers are obliged to design and build their machines such they are compliant with
the essential safety and health requirements of the Machinery Directive. Manufacturers shall
take account of the safety integration already during the design phase. In practice, this
means that the designer shall perform a risk assessment already at the design phase of the
machine. The resulting measures shall be incorporated directly into development.

Machine Laws, directives

As the manufacturer of a machine, among other requirements, the Machinery Directive
applies to you:
• You shall take account of safety integration during the design process.
• You shall meet all essential health and safety requirements of the Machinery Directive.
• You shall supply operating instructions with the product in an official language of the
country of use. If these
• You shall compile a technical documentation file for the machine; in particular, this shall
include all safetyrelated design documents.
• Operating manual book be stored inside the operator’s cabin at the back of operator’s
seat.
• For the declaration of conformity, you shall use either the standard procedure or the
procedure for machinery. Operating instructions are not “original operating instructions” in
an official EU language, then such a version must also be supplied.

As a machine user, the Work Equipment Directive applies to you:

• Observe the requirements of the Work Equipment Directive and its national
implementations. These may also include more stringent requirements!
• You shall find out whether further national requirements (e.g., testing of work equipment,
service or maintenance intervals, etc.) exist and comply with them.

Standards
Standards are technical agreements made between the various interested parties
(manufacturers, users, test bodies, occupational health and safety authorities, and
governments). Contrary to popular opinion, standards are not prepared or agreed by
governments or authorities. Standards describe the state-of-the-art at the time they are
drafted. Over the last 100 years, a change from national standards to globally applicable
standards has taken.
ORGANISATION THAT’S COME UP WITH STANDARDS
Global standardization organizations and structures
1) ISO (International Standardization Organization)
ISO is a worldwide network of standardization organizations from 165 countries. ISO
prepares and publishes international standards focused on non-electrical
technologies’ .
2) International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a global organization that
pre‐pares and publishes international standards in the area of electrical technology (e.g.,
electronics, communications, electromagnetic compatibility, power generation), and
related technologies.
Types of standards
There are three types of standards:
Type-A
Type-A standards, also called basic safety standards, contain basic terminology, principles
of design and general aspects that can be applied to all machinery.

Type-B
Type-B standards, also called generic safety standards, address a safety aspect or
protective device that can be used for a wide range of machinery. Type-B standards are in
turn divided into:
• Type-B1 standards on specific safety aspects, e.g., the electrical safety of machinery, the
calculation of safety distances, requirements for control systems
• Type-B2 standards on protective devices, e.g., two-hand control devices, physical guards
and electro-sensitive protective equipment
Type-C
Type-C standards contain all safety requirements for a specific machine or a type of
machine. If this standard exists, it has priority over the type-A or type-B standard. A type-C
standard may, however, refer to a type-B or type-A standard. In all circumstances the
requirements of the Machinery Directive shall be met.
END