Machine safety systems have evolved from strictly hardwired systems, where safety and standard logic were separate, to the multifaceted spectrum of newer programmable systems with varying levels of cost, complexity, and wiring methods. When designing safety into machinery, engineers must verify compliance with today’s more-stringent standards and determine how safety will interplay with productivity to keep downtime to a minimum. Engineers also should consider how flexible and scalable a safety system will be with evolving operations.

Every year, tens of thousands of men and women across the United States are severely injured on the job, sometimes with permanent consequences to themselves and their families. On January 1, 2015, OSHA implemented a new program requiring employers to report any work-related amputation, in-patient hospitalization, or loss of eye within 24 hours. 

Safety equates to tremendous value for both OEMs and end users. That's the position held by Eric Hendrickson, engineering manager for Bevcorp, an Ohio-based rotary filler and labeling machine builder. However, the true value of safety can only be realized if OEMs aim higher than the minimum requirements. "Compliance alone won't necessarily add value," Hendrickson said. "Compliance is the minimum. 

This post by Jimi Michalscheck, of ESC Services, Rockwell Automation, originally appeared in the The Journal From Rockwell Automation. Many wonder how a modern lockout/tagout (LOTO) solution can actually improve production. While the answer differs in each industry, there are commonalities across all of them. I will first describe these shared traits, then target the printing sector more specifically, because LOTO efficiency is a common question lately from this industry. 

An authority on safety, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) develops, publishes, and disseminates more than 300 consensus codes and standards intended to minimize risk, including NFPA 70E - the standard for electrical safety in the workplace. The 2015 edition of NFPA 70E bought major changes you need to be aware of. Get the most up-to-date information at CBT Company’s NFPA 70E Training course.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is seeking public comment on an updated version of its voluntary Safety and Health Program Management Guidelines. First published in 1989, the guidelines are being updated to reflect modern technology and practices. These guidelines are intended to help employers establish health and safety management plans at their workplaces. Key principles include finding and fixing hazards before they cause injury or illness and ensuring workers have a voice in safety and health. 

Q: Under the minor servicing exception, when is it okay to not lockout a machine? A: When performing routine operations on production equipment, plant floor personnel often find shutting down a machine to be a laborious, time-consuming task, especially when …