White Paper Series How to improve safety into your sorting center

In the automation world, safety is of the utmost importance. On the one hand, automated material handling systems perform difficult tasks that keep operators out of hard and unsafe conditions, but on the other hand the same automation equipment must be intrinsically safe for operators to work around. Manufactures and integrators do have a legal responsibility to ensure material handling systems fulfill the safety requirements in accordance with regulations, standards and directives. But it is much more important to provide an overall concept where safety meet functionality according with customers...

From the early definition phase A safe material handling system starts in the early design phase. During the design phase the project scope shall be clearly defined to analyze the project boundaries and limits of machinery and equipment. The design lay-out shall be based on the needs and expectations of the customer and shall contain the integrated machinery and equipment. Priority shall be given to system accessibility, the segregation of operator working areas, restricted areas, public and dangerous areas. This to ensure the material handling system can be accessed in a safe manner. Other attention...

Practical examples Practical examples of a safe material handling system in the early design phase are the following: • System can be easily accessed by platforms, stairs and ladders • Selection between means of access is based on the access frequency • Height restrictions are prevented at high frequent access areas • Unauthorized access to dangerous parts of machinery and equipment is prevented • O pe rato r wo rking area s, dangerous areas, restricted and public areas are segregated • Machinery and equipment can be properly maintained, access to critical parts is considered • Dangerous machinery...

Safety hierarchical strategy Material handling systems shall be designed by following the design safety measures of the hierarchical strategy in the following order: 1. Implementation of mechanical measures in the first place 2. Secondly the implementation of the electrical and controls measures 3. Last but not least the implementation of instructions That is to say: 1. Ensuring a safe machinery design by preventing hazards and risks by its source. Access to dangerous parts of machinery and equipment is fully prevented by safeguarding. Persons cannot be exposed to hazardous conditions. 2. Implementing...

Machinery safety has an integral character. Safety concepts shall be created by a multidisciplinary approach, input shall be given from a mechanical, electrical, controls and safety perspective. Providing a safe concept is strongly depending on the following factors: • Machinery speeds Integrated machinery and equipment Human intervention to machinery (including access frequency) Environmental conditions User phases of machinery (examples: normal operation, maintenance, jam breaking, cleaning and inspection) Results of the Risk Assessment (detailed hazards and risks involved) All these factors...

A high level of safety can be guaranteed only by making the right decisions for an optimized implementation of safety measures, considering the functionality of the system. A safe concept can be realized only by cooperating closely with the involved disciplines, by understanding the needs and expectations in relation to functionality and safety. Also involving the customer into the safety design of the system, helps you to take the right decisions for an optimized implementation of safety measures, considering the overall functionality of the system. About FORTNA FORTNA partners with the world’s...