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Low Cost Automation Tutorial

#229 Safety Design - 1: What is Intrinsic Safety

Category : Hints on designing
March25, 2016

The "Safety of Machinery" section in JIS Handbook (72) defines the codes on machine safety applicable to automation devices and machine tools. We will learn about safety design of machinery hereinafter.

(1)Intrinsic safety of machinery

The codes on the intrinsic safety of machinery include the following three measures:

1)The safety design has been built into or embedded in the machinery.
2)The machinery has a foolproof feature that prevents accidents or disasters even in case of an incorrect operation of the machine equipment.
3)The machinery has a fail-safe feature that the equipment responds in a safe manner even in case of malfunctions or damages of the machine equipment and parts.

(2)Intrinsic safety design measures implemented by machine designers

·To minimize risks including accidents, the following two methods are available: a) Safety design measures implemented by machine designers, b) Measures for users.

·a) Safety design measures implemented by machine designers include the followings:
1)Intrinsic safety design measures <See the end of this section.>
2)Safeguarding and complementary protective measures
3)Information for use

·b) Measures for users include the followings:
4)Safety improvement organization
5)Use of protective equipment
6)Training

figure

Case examples:
∗Gaps of 4 mm or less ------ The risk of harm to human body becomes zero.
∗Power of 80 W or less ----- Same as above

·The intrinsic safety design measures are the most important process among all the risk reduction measures and should be considered and implemented as the first step.

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