Something that is becoming more and more of critical importance for factory managers, is worker safety.
Could you imagine having dangerous machines like robots, presses, welding equipment, furnaces etc. , so unprotected that anybody could walk right up to them and be injured, even killed?
Well, if you’re old enough, this was pretty much a reality in many factories. Employee safety?? A loose term used by ignorant bosses, generally meaning “Don’t turn up to work if you’re drunk”!!
We have sure come a long way.
Today…
Stray off the assigned walkways-not wearing safety glasses-welding without a permit, etc., It’s likely you’ll get a warning. Do it again,,, go home.
Safety in workplaces covers a huge range of activities, and not only in the factory. Perhaps you have a warning sign next to the lunchroom pie warmer, just so people know it might be hot!
But the focus here is machine safety, in itself a diverse concept.
In Australia, machine safety is covered by Safety Integrity Levels (S.I.L. levels)
SIL levels are used to define the required performance of safety functions on machinery and industrial systems, based on risk assessment. These levels are part of the AS IEC 61508 and AS IEC 62061 standards (which align with international standards IEC 61508 and IEC 62061). Here’s a breakdown:
What is a SIL Level?
SIL is a quantitative measure of risk reduction provided by a safety function. It is used to define how reliable a system or component must be when performing a safety function.
There are four SIL levels:
SIL 1 – Lowest level of risk reduction
SIL 2 – Moderate
SIL 3 – High
SIL 4 – Extremely high (rare in machinery; more common in nuclear/defense industries)
How Are SIL Levels Used in Machine Safety?
In Australia, for machinery, the SIL level is determined by a risk assessment of potential hazards. This involves:
Identifying hazards (e.g., moving parts, crushing zones)
Estimating risk (likelihood and severity of harm)
Assigning a SIL level to each safety-related control function (e.g., emergency stop, interlocks)
The selected SIL level dictates:
Design requirements
Failure rates
Redundancy
Testing and maintenance intervals
Key Australian Standards:
AS IEC 61508 – Functional safety of electrical/electronic systems
AS IEC 62061 – Safety of machinery: Functional safety of control systems
So, the process to ensure a machine e.g. is safe to operate is-
A risk assessment is carried out.
Recommendations from the assessment are implemented.
Tests are performed to ensure the safety processes are functional
If you are unsure about the safety of any machines in your factory, call Mobile Automation.