Racking systems in plants and warehouses aren’t just passive rows of shelves anymore. They’re evolving into dynamic machines with many automated moving parts. These more advanced systems are introducing some new risks to workers who interact with them.

The new G9SX-SM Standstill Monitoring Unit from Omron helps machine operators reduce downtime and increase productivity, the company says. Typically, when access to a hazardous area is required and there are moving parts within that area, timers or sensors are used to grant access. Sensors can be tricky to implement safely in situations where the motion can stop at any position, or if space is limited. Timers are more commonly used, but the problem with this technique is that the timers need to be set based on a worst-case scenario, making access to the machine longer than is necessary. Machines also have a tendency to mechanically deteriorate over time and with fixed timers, this cannot easily be accounted for. The G9SX-SM does it differently by monitoring the back-EMF from the motors directly producing the motion in the hazardous area, Omron says. By doing this, the G9SX-SM knows exactly when the movement has stopped, and will grant access immediately, regardless of how long it may take. Omron claims the G9SX-SM is currently the only device on the market that can do this and maintain a Category 4 (EN954-1), SIL 3 (IEC/EN 62061), and PLe (ISO13849-1) rating.
www.omron.com

Does your machine guarding system comply with applicable standards or do they comply with the requirements of the legislation?

There’s a difference, according to legal experts, and your answer to this question may determine whether your company is on the side of the law.

Seatbelts took awhile to catch on when introduced to the market but have become an acknowledged, life-saving device for drivers. Workers in industrial plants, too, have come to accept safety devices as a necessary part of their routine. In some cases, they use them as automatically as seatbelts.

Despite this progress, why are workers still getting injured or killed by machinery?

Technology has become a significant component of how most organizations operate. But in many cases, the technology is only as effective as the people using them.
 
In our latest Reader Panel survey, we asked our readers to give us their views on machine safety and machine safeguarding technologies. Many of the respondents maintain the importance of training in the whole machine safety equation.

A multi-year project on arc flash research recently got a boost with a US$500,000 sponsorship contribution from Schneider Electric, adding more resources to the estimated US$6.5 million joint research initiative by the Institute of Electronics and Electrical Engineers (IEEE) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

The Court of Appeal for Ontario recently rendered a decision in a prosecution under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) that has broad implications for employers. 

The decision in R. v. Dofasco is very important for OHS professionals and all managers responsible for the health and safety of workers to understand and apply in setting and enforcing safe work procedures. An initial reading of the Court of Appeal’s decision may be discouraging. How, ask many employers, can we ever prove the defence of due diligence? That and other issues and implications will be reviewed as we ask, rhetorically, is R. v. Dofasco the death of due diligence?

Canadian Occupational Safety magazine, Manufacturing Automation magazine, and a new online resource www.SaferMachines.com are creating a special machine automation safety pavilion and exhibit area at the Health and Safety Canada 2008 event, held by the Industrial Accident Prevention Association (IAPA) and attended by more than 8,000 delegates. 
 

The Industrial Accident Prevention Association has launched a new machine safety course dubbed, Interlocking Devices: Selection and Use. The initiative aims to drive down the number of people getting injured by machinery. 
 
“Most workplaces don’t realize they have a problem until the Ministry of Labour does an inspection or a machinery accident occurs that involves critical injuries that have lasting effects for the injured party, their co-workers, and the organization,” says Jim Armstrong, IAPA’s director of consulting services. 
 

New online resource tool


Canada’s leading business-to-business magazines that promote workplace and machine safety have joined forces to help Canadian manufacturers and safety professionals learn more about machine safety and introduce them to the latest technologies.

Canadian Occupational Safety, Manufacturing Automation and Design Product News magazines, have created a new online resource  www.SaferMachines.com to help machinery builders create safer machines and helps manufacturers understand how to use technology to make their machines safer and protect workers.

Visitors to SaferMachines.com will find relevant articles and case studies, video demonstrations, links to industry events and training, and can source new products and technologies from machine guarding and safeguarding, to safety switches, light curtains, optical guards, safety mats, perimeter and area guards, and industrial automation technology.