Functional Safety
August 31, 2021
Functional safety systems aim to reduce or eliminate the risk of physical injury or damage to people interacting with industrial equipment or processes. Functional safety is achieved when, and only when, every specified safety function has been successfully carried out, and risk has been reduced to an acceptable level.
For nearly fifty years, elobau has been an industry leader in machine safety and fail-safe systems. Our expertise has helped industrial workplaces around the world achieve and establish functional safety within their workplaces. Our safety sensors and safety controllers have minimized risk in a vast range of industries as components within functional safety systems.
While there is no mandated directive in the US, machine safety should follow EN ISO 13849 or IEC 62061. Both guidelines are concerned with establishing risk-reduction measures in your industrial machinery's design, construction, and usage.
Functional safety systems aim to reduce or eliminate the risk of physical injury or damage to people interacting with industrial equipment or processes. Functional safety is achieved when, and only when, every specified safety function has been successfully carried out, and risk has been reduced to an acceptable level.
For nearly fifty years, elobau has been an industry leader in machine safety and fail-safe systems. Our expertise has helped industrial workplaces around the world achieve and establish functional safety within their workplaces. Our safety sensors and safety controllers have minimized risk in a vast range of industries as components within functional safety systems.
How to Achieve a Functional Safety System
Establishing a functional safety system within your industrial workplace can be a daunting task. However, by acting with intention and following these steps, you can remain diligent about risk in your workplace and stop injury or damage before it occurs.Identify Required Safety Functions
To minimize and eliminate risk, you first must know the risk exists. By conducting a risk assessment, you can identify heightened risk points and begin planning how to establish a fail-safe system in your industrial machinery. This assessment should cover machine safeguards, human error, and the tasks typically required of machinery.Complete an Assessment of Risk Reduction
Once you have identified the areas and components that require increased safety measures, you can implement risk reduction measures by establishing safety integrity levels (SIL) or performance levels (PL). These quantifications will allow you to set up a functional safety system.Ensure Safety Functions Perform as Designed
Even the most thoroughly thought-out functional safety system will collapse if the installed safety functions do not perform as designed. For example, if an e-stop button has been installed to shut off machinery in the event of an emergency, that e-stop button must perform as expected.Verify Systems Meet SIL & Machine Safety Standards
Three metrics show if your fail-safe system meets SIL and machine safety standards:- Determining the probability of dangerous failure
- Checking the minimum levels of redundancy
- Reviewing systematic capability
Conduct Regular Functional Safety Audits
Once you have created your industrial fail-safe system, regularly conducted safety audits are a necessity. These audits will ensure that your fail-safe system continues to function as designed and prove that your functional safety system has been successful.Functional Safety in Food Processing
Functional safety and fail-safe systems are critical when applied to food processing. The speed and complexity of food and beverage processing applications introduce many risk points. Additionally, the machines in use must be safe but also kept hygienic in all steps of manufacturing. Regulations differ depending on your operational location, but North America and Europe enforce strict specifications regarding the potentially dangerous environments within food manufacturing.Food Manufacturing Functional Safety Regulations
Industrial machinery within the European Union follows the EU’s Machinery Directive. Regarding functional safety, all food processing and other industrial applications must follow regulations outlined in Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC to design and construct safe machinery.While there is no mandated directive in the US, machine safety should follow EN ISO 13849 or IEC 62061. Both guidelines are concerned with establishing risk-reduction measures in your industrial machinery's design, construction, and usage.