Safety Systems Must Be Designed For Productivity

I don’t care if your safety system is CAT 4, PL e or SIL 3, if it significantly interferes with the use of the machine then it’s unsafe. Anyone who works with machinery has seen safety systems that are designed as an afterthought in an ad hoc fashion. For example:

• Machines where the operator needs to bypass the safety system to set-up  or clean the machine
• Machines where guards don’t allow the visibility required for the task
• Safety procedures that are time consuming and become ignored

So how do we avoid these common issues? Guidance is now at hand with the new Australian Standard for Interlocking Design and Principles, AS 4024.1602:2014.

This standard has a method to identify if the proposed safety system will create a motivation to defeat. Firstly the designer must identify the modes of operation, for example common modes would be; normal operation, manual operation, cleaning, maintenance, etc. The designer then needs to identify what tasks are performed in these different modes of operation.

The method will then assess if the safety system allows the task to be performed in the mode. If not, then a redesign of the safety system is required to allow for this activity.

If the safety system does allow the task to be performed, the designer still needs to analyse if the safety system interferes with this activity. For example there might be motivation to defeat the system because of these typical reasons:

• The task can be performed much quicker if the safety system is defeated
• The safeguard restricts visibility or audibility required to perform the task properly
• The safety procedure requires much more physical travel
• The safety system restricts movement and adds difficulty in performing the task

If motivation to defeat is discovered then design measures that will eliminate or minimize this motivation must be considered. For example, providing a transparent guard to allow the required visibility to perform the task. If there aren’t ways to minimize motivation for defeat then the standard recommends measures that can be used to make defeat difficult. For example, selecting highly coded safety interlock devices that are difficult to defeat.

Design of interlocking systems to reduce motivation for defeat has always been a consideration in the safety standards but now a formalised method is available for use. It is hoped that safety systems will be designed with the operation of the machine in mind so we can avoid non-productive safety systems that encourage defeat and create unsafe practices.

What’s the hold-up with the new Conveyor Safety Standards?

For those not aware, the process of replacing the Australian Standard for Conveyor Safety, AS 1755, is well underway. This standard will be replaced by the following set of safety standards:

• AS 4024.3610 – Safety of Machinery, Conveyors, General requirements
• AS 4024.3611 – Safety of Machinery, Conveyors, Belt conveyors for bulk material handling
• AS 4024.3612 – Safety of Machinery, Conveyors, Light duty belt conveyors
• AS 4024.3613 – Safety of Machinery, Conveyors, Screw conveyors
• AS 4024.3614 – Safety of Machinery, Conveyors, Mobile and transportable conveyors

The General requirements standard, AS 4024.3610, will replace the bulk of AS 1755. The major differences will include:

• Updated references to current international and Australian standards
• Updated control system requirements to allow for new design standards and current technology
• Increased information on guarding options and methodology. This information should be used within the requirements of any state legislation (ACT/Regulations) or codes of practice.
• Increased attention on the lifecycle activities of the equipment, such as risk assessment, installation,  commissioning, decommissioning, etc.

This General requirements standard will now be complemented by specific conveyor type standards, which will allow for more detailed guidance and compatibility of safety control measures. For example, with the AS 4024.3611 standard there will be improved information on aspects of belt conveyors for bulk material handling such as:

• Hazard list specific for this type of conveyor
• Safety considerations specific for this type of conveyor
• Inclusion of current industry practices
• Statistics on incidents involving belt conveyors for bulk material handling

For those who have been paying attention, there has been a significant delay since the public comment period of AS 4024.3610 and AS 4024.3611, which ended in February 2014. So why has it taken so long to publish these standards?

To avoid confusion, the new standards will only be released once all of the sections are ready for publishing. This allows AS 1755 to be fully superseded in one step.

So in conclusion the new set of standards will provide improved guidance for conveyor safety and the process is still moving forward, however the new standards will only be available once they are all ready to be published.

Unsure what all this mean for you? Want an overview of the different machine safety standards in Australia and how these tie in with OH&S requirements? Want to help on knowing how to select the applicable standard when designing a safety system? Well register and come along to the information session below.

NHP Electrical Engineering Products in conjunction with EngSpace are holding a Safety Standards session with guest presenters Frank Schrever, Chairman - Standards Australia Committee and Amy Whykes, Product Engineer - Safety & Sensing at NHP.

New Revision of AS 4024.1 Series of Machinery Safety Standards

In order to keep Australian industry in-line with international practices, the AS 4024.1 series of machinery safety standards has been revised. The new parts are now available on the SAI Global website www.saiglobal.com.

Currently the parts are available individually because the application guide (part 1100) is yet to be released. It is expected that the AS 4024.1 series (collection of all AS 4024.1 parts) will become available once the application guide is finalised. Ordering the complete series is the recommended approach, as the AS 4024.1 parts should always be used together.

Below is a table that explains what parts will be included in the new series, this table indicates what international standard, each part is adopted from. The table also indicates which parts have been withdrawn and which parts are new.

Some major pointers on the new series:

• The parts are now direct text adoptions of the international standards. This means all references in the parts refer to international standard numbers. This makes the below table very useful as the user must be familiar with the adopted international standard for each part to use the AS 4024.1 series.
• The Application Guide, 1100 is a new part. This will be very useful in explaining to users where to find relevant information and how to use the complete series 
• Part 1303 is a new part. This part provides practical examples of risk estimation models.Part 1503 is a new part. This part designs safety control systems to Performance Levels (PL). 
• Part 1602 is the revised interlock guard part. This part is significantly different to the previous version and allows the user to design interlocking systems to the new PL method.

AS 4024 information sessions will be scheduled later in the year once the new AS 4024.1 series is complete. For more information, send Craig an email on cimrie@nhp.com.au. 

All standards in the table below, less the highlighted fields, are the expected parts of the new AS 4024.1 series once the application guide (1100) is complete.

AS/NZS 4024 Part	International Equivalent	Comment
4024.1100:2014	N/A	Application Guide for the AS 4024.1 series. Still at drafting stage
4024.1101-2006	N/A	Available but will not be part of the revised AS 4024.1 series
4024.1201:2014	ISO 12100:2010	This part supersedes the 2006 versions of parts 1201, 1202 and 1301
4024.1202-2006		Superseded by AS 4024.1201:2014
4024.1301-2006		Superseded by AS 4024.1201:2014
4024.1302:2014	EN 626-1:1994+A1:2008	This part supersedes the 2006 version of part 1302
4024.1303:2014	ISO/TR 14121-2:2012	New Part: This part provides guidance on risk estimation
4024.1401:2014	EN 614-1:2006+A1:2009	This part supersedes the 2006 version of part 1401
4024.1501-2006	ISO 13849-1:1999	This part will remain current and unchanged
4024.1502-2006	ISO 13849-2:2003	This part will remain current and unchanged
4024.1503:2014	ISO 13849-1:2006	New Part: This part designs control systems to Performance Levels (PL)
4024.1601:2014	EN 953:1997+A1:2009	This part supersedes the 2006 version of part 1601
4024.1602:2014	ISO 14119:2013	This part supersedes the 2006 version of 1602
4024.1603-2006		This part will remain current and unchanged
4024.1604:2014	ISO 13850-2006	This part supersedes the 2006 version of part 1604
4024.1701:2014	ISO 7250-1:2008	This part supersedes the 2006 version of part 1701
4024.1702:2014	EN 547-1:1996+A1:2008	This part supersedes the 2006 version of part 1702
4024.1703:2014	EN 547-2:1996+A1:2008	This part supersedes the 2006 version of part 1703
4024.1704:2014	EN 547-3:1996+A1:2008	This part supersedes the 2006 version of part 1704
4024.1801:2014	ISO 13857:2008	This part supersedes the 2006 version of part 1801 and 1802
4024.1802-2006		Superseded by AS 4024.1801:2014
4024.1803:2014	ISO 13854:1996	This part supersedes the 2006 version of part 1803
4024.1901:2014	EN 894-1:1997+A1:2008	This part supersedes the 2006 version of part 1901
4024.1902:2014	EN 894-2:1997+A1:2008	This part supersedes the 2006 version of part 1902
4024.1903:2014	EN 894-3:2000+A1:2008	This part supersedes the 2006 version of part 1903
4024.1904:2014	IEC 61310-1 Ed 2.0	This part supersedes the 2006 version of part 1904
4024.1905:2014	IEC 61310-2 Ed 2.0	This part supersedes the 2006 version of part 1905
4024.1906:2014	IEC 61310-3 Ed 2.0	This part supersedes the 2006 version of part 1906
4024.1907:2014	EN 981:1996+A1:2008	This part supersedes the 2006 version of part 1907