Light curtains can be inspected as part of a PUWER assessment; they fall under regulation 11 of PUWER – Dangerous parts of machinery.
Regulation 11 of PUWER sets out the following:
- Employers are required to take effective measures to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery or stop their movement before any part of a person enters a danger zone
- The measures which you should take to prevent access to the dangerous parts of the machinery to achieve compliance with regulation 11
- The various requirements for guards and protection devices
- Regulation 11 can cover many parts and types of machinery; the HSE has many publications that contain specific guidance on particular machines or for particular industries and describe the measures that can be taken to protect against risks associated with dangerous parts of machinery.
During a Pilz PUWER inspection, where light curtains are used to protect against dangerous parts of machinery, we inspect the following areas:
- Location – Physical location or positioning of devices
- Testing & Inspection – The maximum period between each periodic inspection and test for a Type 2 Light Curtain is 12 months and for a Type 4 is 6 months. What the light curtain is fitted to and the risk as a whole is also considered
- Reset – Are the devices not easily bypassed or disabled
One of the common non-conformances associated with light curtains during a PUWER assessment is that they are not situated a sufficient distance away from the danger zone. When a light curtain is improperly situated it defeats the purpose of its intended use, subsequently creating a dangerous working environment.
Conducting a PUWER inspection can help organisations to identify potentially dangerous situations within their plant, site, machinery or work equipment and create a plan to remedy this so that a safe working environment is created through having safe work equipment. Pilz also offer an Inspection of safeguarding devices service that will determine the proper installation, safe distance, function and incorporation into the machine control system.
To find out more about how PUWER is applied during an inspection contact us on puwer@pilz.co.uk for more information.