The safety standards state that a risk assessment must be performed on a machine in order for it to be deemed safe. This is a standardized procedure for determining the level of risk presented by a machine or system and its components, followed by a risk reduction phase for minimizing or eliminating those risks.
Software packages have been developed to aid users in the risk assessment process. Critics have said this type of software is often generic and not flexible enough to adequately address specific applications. Also, they caution that it needs to be frequently updated to ensure that it reflects any revisions to the standards.
Software providers seem to have heard this criticism. Case in point is the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (http://www.pmmi.org) whose PackSafe program is among the most widely used risk assessment aids. The latest version, PackSafe 5, conforms to numerous updated standards and, PMMI insists, provides users with greater flexibility in how they assess risks. The goal is to allow users to employ the method most appropriate to their particular application.
>> Click here to read Automation World's complete coverage, "Packaging Machine Safety Turns Dynamic"
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