Did you know?
- In 2021, there were 730,516 accidents at work in German companies, 269 of which were fatal (source: DGUV).
- In 2006, the year the Machinery Directive was introduced, there were 1,047,516 accidents at work, 941 of which were fatal (source: Federal Office of Labor and Social Affairs)
- According to a survey conducted by the DGUV in 2022, 27.2% of the machines used in German companies are manipulated.
- The same survey indicates that 50.7% of the responsible supervisors were aware of the manipulations.
Although the accident figures have fallen considerably since 2006, they are still too high. It is particularly alarming that the number of manipulated machines is over ¼ of all machines. But why? The provisions of the Machinery Directive are often disregarded or incorrectly implemented. Let's take a look at 3 aspects of the Machinery Directive which, if implemented, prevent the question of changing the protective devices from arising in the first place.
1. the operation of the machine must be tailored to the user(s).
It makes a big difference whether the machine is operated by a trained specialist or a "village idiot", so it must be known at the start of the design process what requirements need to be taken into account. Overstretched operators tend to make their work easier by manipulating the machine.
Example: If the operator frequently has to intervene in the machine's process and has to go through a safety gate to do so, he will sooner or later bypass the safety technology of the gate in order to be able to "do his job faster".
For this reason, the MRL requires training and operating concepts tailored to the user to prevent the desire to tamper in the first place.
2. the safety technology is fully integrated into the work process and is not particularly noticeable.
Safety technology that is not conspicuous but fulfills its function is still the best, because it is fully integrated into the processes on the machine and is not a special function. This can be a safety light curtain, for example, which ensures that the machine does not perform any dangerous movements when the operator reaches the machine to change components. The combination of light curtain and distance from the curtain to the machine not only fulfills a safety aspect, but also facilitates the work process compared to a monitored safety gate with access control.
3. safety functions are clearly assigned and leave no questions unanswered as to what to do in an emergency.
Imagine you have a production line with several machines and each machine has its own emergency stop. You see a danger for a colleague on a machine and want to trigger the emergency stop. But which one? By the time you have made your decision in this stressful situation, an accident at work has long since occurred.
The Machinery Directive emergency stop rules are clear here: emergency stop devices must always be clearly recognizable, easily visible and quickly accessible. This must not happen! In this particular situation, quick action is required. However, if you first have to think about what to do, this can very quickly lead to the wrong reaction, which in the worst case can have the exact opposite effect. Also, the safe shutdown of one part of the system must not lead to a hazard from another, interlinked machine.
These are only 3 Aspects of the Machinery Directivethat affect machine operation, but 3 important points. The requirements of the Machinery Directive must be taken into account in the early planning phase. It therefore makes sense for the designer to consider the environment and the installation location at the plant operator's premises. It is particularly important to observe the Machinery Directive's emergency stop provisions in order to ensure intuitive operation in the event of danger. After all, only machines that can be operated safely and effectively will not be tampered with.
