Constantly tightening health and safety requirements and awareness of the risks coming from the use of machinery, make it one of the most important aspects for both manufacturers and entrepreneurs to ensure health and safety at work for people staying in production halls during the operation of industrial equipment.
Insufficiently effective safeguards may endanger the lives and health of employees and reduce production efficiency, thereby adversely affecting the company's profits. That is why we care about the highest quality of protection already at the stage of machine production, implementing comprehensive solutions and adapting equipment immediately to work in the production hall.
Below we have prepared a brief presentation of the types of security features and benefits coming from their installation.
Light curtains
They are used for fencing off potentially dangerous areas in the vicinity of industrial machinery and detecting sudden movement (intrusion) of a person or object into the danger area. The curtains are built with a transmitter emitting from several to dozen parallel rays of light, and the whole is connected to the control system responsible for safety. When the light field is interrupted by a part of the body or an object, a signal is sent to force the machine to react, e.g. to stop work immediately. The light curtains are particularly suitable for production halls where the access to the hazardous area of the machine cannot be separated by mechanical protection. Thanks to their application, operators get faster access to the device and the ability to react efficiently to any mechanical faults, because they do not have to wait for the physical opening of the shield. At the same time, light curtains do not guarantee safety against e.g. parts ejected by the machine, dust, noise or radiation (heat, ionizing).
Safety fencing systems
It is a reliable, stable and easy to install solution that allows physical separation of operators and bystanders from the danger zone in the vicinity of an industrial machine. At the same time, it prevents accidental entry of workers into the danger zone and protects the production hall against elements that can be ejected by the working device. Specification of fencing systems - their height, distance from the device, strength, etc. - is determined individually and should be adjusted to the specific machine and its intended use.
Emergency stop
Most industrial machines, in accordance with the current technical standards, should be equipped with an emergency stop device, the so-called emergency stop device (STOP). Thanks to it, it is possible to react quickly to the machine operators at the moment of failure, and thus reduce its consequences and economic losses caused by damage to the equipment or production line. The stop button must be easily accessible, visible and recognizable, and its number depends on the size and configuration of the machine, the number of operators and the location of hazardous areas.
Light and sound signals
These are the basic elements ensuring work safety in production halls, used to provide information on the condition of the machine. In an unusual or dangerous event, signaling devices generate specific sounds and colors, allowing the interpretation of the level of danger to people in the vicinity of the industrial machine and their rapid response or evacuation.
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Warning labels
Markings on machinery and equipment shall be visible, indelible and legible. Warning labels are to inform people in the vicinity of industrial machinery about the possible risks associated with this - harmful effects of chemical substances, excessive noise, possible mechanical damage, radiation, etc.
Safety interlocks
Their purpose is to automatically close the doors of a working machine so that they do not open spontaneously or intentionally during operation. This is particularly recommended for machines which generate high vibrations during work or which open their doors accidentally, e.g. by being pushed or pulled by people who are unaware that the machine is in operation.
In order for the described solutions to fulfil their function in the production hall, ensuring an adequate level of health and safety at work in industrial equipment, it is necessary to implement them properly, mark clearly, preparation of work instructions and staff training.