Question: What safety requirements apply with regard to the remote maintenance / remote control (teleservice) of machinery? Under what conditions is access to machinery on the customer's premises permitted? Are there standard specifications / examples of correct implementation?
Answer: The machine's risk assessment needs to consider all life phases. Remote maintenance is also a life phase / operating mode, which needs to be considered in the risk assessment. The following generally applies: No hazards may arise as a result of remote maintenance.
There is no specific remote maintenance standard. However, it would be possible to refer to other specifications:
Some C standards are concerned with the issue, such as EN ISO 10218-2 for robot systems.
Remote access is described in clauses 5.6.5 a)-k).
Other relevant points:
- What happens if the connection fails during teleservicing?
- Consideration of the security issue (unauthorised operation).
This is a complex issue. Precise answers are only possible with comprehensive insight into the application. Feel free to contact us at sales@pilz.de if you would like to use our advisory services.