01 Organisatorische aspecten
 >  Machineveiligheid (EN) Machine Safety
Discussion > Discuss this with your colleagues!

Discuss the following topics with each other:

  1. How do you handle this problem in your working environment?
  2. Did you know that there are laws and regulations that apply to this situation?
  3. How did you find out about this?

You can add as much text here as you wish!

Introduction to Machine Safety

When people think about machine safety, they often think about the safe use of tools, such as a sawing bench. But machine safety should be viewed in a much broader context. Machine safety is defined as follows: ‘the safety of any object that involves the use of electromechanical systems’. In our field of work this includes: pumping stations, lock filling and emptying systems, building-related systems, lifts, moveable bridges, technical tunnel systems, etc.

A safe machine starts off with a safe design. The design affects all of the machine’s lifecycle stages, from build to ultimate disassembly. Establishing a strong foundation during the design phase and providing due consideration to the many aspects that affect the installation, operation and maintenance of the machine can result in significant cost savings. At the same time, this allows safety to be elevated to a higher level. The essence of machine safety is as follows: to gain insight into and assess the risks for those people who come into contact with the machine or its sphere of influence. This means due consideration must also be given to the environment and the local community. The challenge is to limit the risks identified to a minimum.

Risks > What can happen?

Machine-related risks can manifest themselves during start-up, carrying out maintenance activities and while managing the machine. Several safety aspects that are addressed during these phases include: physical load, ergonomics, being trapped and coming into contact with moving parts. The Design department can have a high impact on risks in its design. In the European Machinery Directive, safe design is explicitly mentioned as forming the basis for the risk mitigation process.

Another point concerning machine safety is the design of the space in which the machine is set up and maintained. Often there is insufficient space to be able to properly carry out maintenance in the final situation. This is caused by the sequence in which a machine is designed. The result of an erroneous design sequence is a lack of space with the resulting consequence that the ultimate space in and around the machine for its placement, installation and proper maintenance is limited. This increases the chance of being trapped or coming into contact with moving parts during maintenance or management. Moreover, as a result of this it is almost impossible to allow for an ergonomic working posture. 

Design safety measures, by choosing suitable constructive choices within the machine itself or in the interaction between exposed individuals and the machine, result in avoiding hazards or reducing risks. The safety of a machine’s operation increases when the design itself takes risks into account and incorporates risk-mitigating measures. The risks covered off by the design no longer require technical safety provisions or warnings to be implemented, unless, despite a safe design, residual risks continue to exist.

Measures > What you must do

To provide for a smooth design process in terms of identifying and dealing with potentially unsafe situations, you should adhere to the following steps as a designer.  

This often starts as early as in the Tender Phase.

Establish a Technical/Construction Dossier
The technical/construction dossier is a combination of documents that government bodies use to establish whether a product complies with essential requirements. The dossier must at a minimum include the following documents: drawings, list of standards, test results, certificates, operating instructions and an EC or EU declaration of conformity. The basis for this document is formed by the Design choices and these must therefore be recorded here. Before you establish this dossier, it is recommended that you first identify which directives, standards and certifications apply to the machine you are going to design (see the header ‘Tips’ for a useful link).

Complete a Risk Assessment and Evaluation (RI&E)
The RI&E is a list with the potential risks relating to all of the machine’s lifecycle phases. This list is used to identify the risks that apply to the machine. The right mitigating measures can only be taken once the risks are known (Figure 1).

  • Step 1: Identification
    What are the relevant risks for this machine?　
    Result: a list of all of the risks pertaining to the machine.　

  • Step 2: Evaluation 
    What is the scope/magnitude of the risk?　
    Result: the risks are listed in order of importance.　

  • Step 3: Action Plan
    What are the proposed mitigating measures?　
    Result: a plan that identifies how and when which measures are implemented to mitigate the risks.
Figure 1: Risk identification list. The risks are identified during the Design Phase and where possible, they are addressed in the design.

Installation space & moving parts

The machine’s installation space consists of the area that contains the machine’s drive and profile (the free space for maintenance). In relation to safety, the designer must take the following aspects into account:

  • Provide for a 800 - 1,000-mm space around the components. This is the space that must remain clear after the doors of cabinets, for example, stand open at right angles and block part of the walking space. This is important to be able to vacate the space quickly and safely in case of emergency situations. See Figure 2.
  • Provide for ergonomic working postures. The accessibility of parts must be positioned in such a way that it is easy to maintain the machine in a standing position without the need for overstretching or the danger of becoming caught between other parts. Maintain the position between hip and shoulders as a pleasant working height. See Figure 2.
  • Provide for at least two escape routes from any position where any maintenance or other work can be performed. This way, should one of the two escape routes be blocked, there always is an alternative. Of course this principle not only applies to the relevant area, but must also be extended to the entire building. See Figure 2.
  • Provide hoisting and other facilities for the replacement of parts. The area will last longer than the equipment that is installed in it. The hoisting and other facilities ensure that the following processes relating to the machine run better/easier: installation, replacement of parts or the entire machine, and disassembly. It is therefore important that during the design, careful attention be given to the routing in combination with the available space required during the machine’s entire service life. See Figures 2 and 4.
Figure 2: Workspace; a safe machine location provides for excellent escape options, an ergonomic working posture, and at the same time the lifting hooks ensure that the machine or parts thereof can be easily replaced or removed.
  • As designer you must design from the inside out. This means that the design process must proceed from the drive outwards to the machine’s installation area. Too often the design starts off with the machine’s installation area and all required facilities and parts are then drawn inside this area. The purpose of the installation area is to achieve a safe set-up of the drive and the installation with due consideration to accessibility and escape options in case of emergencies. See Figures 2 and 4.
  • Ensure that moving parts are shielded to avoid getting trapped or coming into contact with these parts. See Figure 3.
Figure 3: Shield moving parts; shielding moving parts reduces the chance of becoming trapped and makes it impossible to come into contact with moving parts.
Figure 4: Design ‘from the inside out’. This avoids encountering surprises during the machine’s operating phase.

Legal obligations　

Machinery Directive
The Machinery Directive is a European law that sets out the requirements machinery destined for the European market must comply with. The directive contains a large number of health and safety requirements and a number of administrative requirements. An example of this is the preparation of a Dutch-language user manual for the entire machine, including all components, that identifies the safety facilities incorporated into the machine, among other things. The countries in the European Union are obliged to transform the directive into national legislation; in the Netherlands this has been done in the form of the Machines (Commodities Act) Decree. Under the ‘Tips’ header you will find a web link to this decree. 

CE marking
The CE marking found on many products indicates that the product complies with the applicable regulations within the European Economic Area. CE stands for Conformité Européenne. The CE marking has broad application, which means that, for example, moveable bridges or electrical installations in buildings must also meet the requirements relating to the CE marking. Under the ‘Tips’ header you will find a web link to the requirements and action plan for obtaining the CE marking.

Tips > For more information

Multiple knowledge files relating to machine safety are available for viewing at arbokennisnet.nl. These files can be viewed to explore the above-referenced subject matter in further detail at: http://www.arbokennisnet.nl/Kennisdossier_Machineveiligheid.html.

The following links can be consulted for the many requirements, documentation and directives.


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