Safeguarding is the combination of guards and protective devices that keeps people away from a machine’s dangerous parts while it runs.
It spans fixed and interlocked guards, light curtains, laser scanners, pressure mats and two-hand controls, chosen to suit how often people need access. In the EN ISO 12100 order of priority it comes second, after designing the hazard out and before relying on procedures.
Automatic disconnection of supply is the protective measure that removes power to a faulty circuit within a required time to prevent electric shock.
The Office for Product Safety and Standards is the UK government agency responsible for enforcing product safety and standards and protecting consumers from unsafe products.
Self-certification is the conformity route that lets a manufacturer declare compliance without third-party involvement, available for all machinery not explicitly listed in Annex I of the Machinery Regulation.
For nearly two decades, the Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC) has been the backbone of machinery safety compliance across Europe.
Introduction Machinery is now software-defined, connected, and increasingly autonomous. The Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 treats software failures as
A question we hear regularly from clients is which assessment do they actually need for their machinery —
Speak to a Knox Thomas engineer about compliance, risk assessment and safeguarding for your machinery.
