Secure your access and entry points now – and manage them intelligently!

Christoph Baumeister, Senior Manager Product Management

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Who's allowed to do what on which machine? This question is fundamental to a safety concept that covers both Safety and Industrial Security. The functional safety of a machine must not be compromised by unauthorised access, malicious attacks or manipulation. This makes it more important than ever to have a holistic approach to machine access, the assignment of permissions and the associated management of staff and machinery.
Security measures are becoming mandatory for manufacturers and operators: the Machinery Regulation requires manufacturers to provide protection against accidental or intentional corruption and to ensure that checks are in place before a machine’s parameters can be changed. For operators of machinery in Europe, the Work Equipment Directive stipulates that “rights must be assigned to job profiles” and recommends the introduction of “effective authentication procedures (e.g. access cards)”.

Access only after successful authentication
Technically, these requirements can be implemented using an Identification and Access Management (I.A.M.) system such as the one supplied by automation expert Pilz. It clearly sets out which member of staff has permission for certain processes or operating modes on a machine. One of the hardware components used here is the access permission system PITreader. The operator’s permission and qualifications are stored on an RFID-enabled transponder. If the person has the necessary permission, they are granted access to the process. At the same time, access can be verifiably logged and can therefore be traced in the event of an emergency.
An I.A.M. does not just cover physical access by individuals: the possibilities range from the Windows login on a PC to enabling industrial USB ports, one of the main gateways for Security incidents. This solution controls the manipulation-proof import of programs, data export and the keyboard connection. That's because the interface is only activated with the corresponding permission, thereby protecting the data flow in a production facility. 

Organisational measures for employee protection
To ensure that the potential of Identification and Access Management is realised fully in practice and also that it works reliably, operators must be clear when assigning and allocating tasks and permissions. There is an obligation to put in place organisational measures such as work instructions, training or regular checks on procedures. If these are neglected, the responsible parties in a company can be held personally liable in the event of accidents or production downtimes – they act as guarantors. Even with a smaller workforce, it’s difficult to maintain an overview. In the event of an accident, the first thing that is checked is whether the employee has completed all the necessary training and received all the safety briefings. This information can be stored in the MYZEL Lifecycle Platform from Pilz.

A digital platform for the safety of human and machine
The MYZEL Lifecycle Platform is a Software-as-a-Service solution that supports production and safety managers throughout the entire machine lifecycle. It digitises processes, reduces the documentation workload and ensures that safety, productivity and compliance are guaranteed at all times. By establishing a connection between human, machine and data, MYZEL lays the foundations for sustainable, transparent and standard-compliant production. Machinery, personnel and the associated data are recorded in myCore, the heart of the platform. This means that any necessary training can also be documented and linked to the machinery, or access to it.

Assigning and managing permissions clearly
If a company uses the Pilz Identification and Access Management System (I.A.M.), all access and permissions are managed centrally in the myAccessControl workflow, and the associated safe operating mode selection is clearly displayed. If certain tasks require a specific qualification, this information is stored. As soon as the certificate expires, the MYZEL Lifecycle Platform highlights the need for action. Recurring measures such as mandatory safety training can also be reliably documented on the platform. This provides a clear overview of the daily challenges: it is clear who has which permissions on the machine.

The ability to process the necessary documentation efficiently, with some tasks automated, and keep track of it at all times – that's something that not only saves time but also improves safety for machine operators. Particularly when an incident occurs, thanks to Myzel it can quickly be demonstrated that all the necessary documents are in place and accessible, and that staff have received the relevant training. Safety and Industrial Security are closely intertwined in this solution for Identification and Access Management and provide a holistic view of Safety and Security – from individual safety functions right through to the management of entire plants.