Work equipment: safety of programmed systems

This document is largely based on the state of standardization, which now largely covers the field of programmed system safety in work equipment, and within which points of view, methods and tools are discussed and shared.

The main features of the standards-based approach to machine design-integrated safety are outlined. The standards applicable to the safety of machine control systems are then described: EN 954-1, dedicated to the safety-related parts of machine control systems; IEC 61508, which deals with the functional safety of control systems based on electrical, electronic and programmable electronic technologies; and IEC 62061, a variation of IEC 61508 for the functional safety of machine control systems. Future developments in these standards are described.

The dossier concludes with an argumented proposal from INRS for determining the reference system to be used, depending on the design choices made, to implement the safety functions of a machine.