Functional safety refers to that part of a system’s overall safety that depends on the correct functioning of the safety-related control system. Safety generally depends also on other risk-reduction measures, which are considered in accordance with EN ISO 12100. Emergency stops, safety gates, light curtains or speed monitoring are some of the typical safety devices that are used to safeguard plant and machinery. With the rising level of complexity of plant and machinery, programmable systems are increasingly being used in addition to conventional relays. Both EN ISO 13849 and IEC 62061 provide conformance with international legislation , e.g. the machinery directive. Both standards are paramount for plant and machine builders, because many B and C standards refer to them directly.
The aim of functional safety is always to protect humans and machines from hazards. In Europe, the relevant functional safety standards in the engineering sector are listed in the Machinery Directive. Download “Functional safety” poster of Pilz and learn about the risk assessment and risk reduction procedure in accordance with EN ISO 12100 in a compact, at-a-glance format. Derived from this so-called A-standard there are two important standards you can apply
- EN ISO 13849-1: Applicable for electrical, electronic, programmable electronic, hydraulic, pneumatic, mechanical systems
- EN / IEC 62061: Applicable for electrical, electronic, programmable electronic systems