In high-risk industries such as manufacturing, energy, and mining, machinery is often concentrated on massive mechanical, electrical, thermal, pneumatic, or chemical energy sources.

For this reason, even minor design flaws, software bugs, or worker errors can escalate in a chain reaction, leading to fatal consequences.

According to the National Safety Council, more than 4 million industrial accidents requiring treatment and more than 4,500 fatal accidents were recorded in the United States alone in 2023.

These statistics clearly show that machine safety is a necessity, not an option, in an automated environment.

Machine safety has now established itself as a core value and design principle that must be inherent in all processes and systems.

From a design perspective, modern automation systems incorporate functional safety to prevent accidents.

This includes implementing redundancy and fail-safe control so that even if a device malfunctions or an operator makes a mistake, the system detects the risk and automatically switches to a safe state.

For example, industrial robots use light curtains or laser scanners that stop operation when a person approaches.You can use it, and the chemical reactor can be equipped with an interlock system that automatically stops if the temperature or pressure exceeds a safe range.

International safety standards define this approach as a risk-based framework for the design of safety-related electrical and electronic systems.

This article introduces the standards and certifications of major organizations that support the development of industrial automation in a way that protects both machines and workers.

■ Safety Standards Agency

In all industrial environments, safety must be reflected in technology from the design stage and deeply embedded in work practices.

This is achieved by adhering to well-established standards and guidelines throughout the design, operation, and maintenance of the equipment. The following are the major organizations developing these safety standards and their scope of influence.

■ International Organization for Standardization

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is a global non-governmental standardization organization that develops and publishes various international standards across all industrial sectors worldwide.

Regarding the safety of machinery and industrial equipment, ISO has established several important standards, including ISO 12100 and ISO 13849.

○ ISO 12100: This basic standard defines a systematic methodology to enable engineers to identify risk factors, assess risks, and implement protective measures to keep risks at a reasonably low level.

○ ISO 13849: This standard provides requirements and guidelines for designing components of control systems that integrate safety functions. It also specifies methods for verifying the performance level (PL) of the corresponding functions, which are classified into grades from a (low risk) to e (high risk). In addition, it includes a method for determining the required performance level (PLr) for control system components. For example, the emergency stop circuit of a machine may need to meet PL e (high performance, typically dual-channel and self-monitoring structure).

■ International Electrotechnical Commission

The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a global standardization organization focused on standards in the electrical and electronic fields. From a safety perspective, the IEC's scope covers all electrical and electronic aspects of equipment, ranging from circuit breaker specifications to the safety of complex automation systems.

One of the most important safety standards is IEC 61508, a critical functional safety standard that provides a comprehensive lifecycle throughout the design, implementation, and maintenance of systems performing safety functions.

Beyond functional safety, the IEC is also publishing important hardware-centric safety standards.

For example, IEC 60204-1 specifies electrical safety requirements for machines, including proper grounding and emergency stop circuits.

In addition, the IEC 62061 series covers the functional safety of safety-related control systems, and these standards apply to machine control systems and are aligned with the IEC 61508 framework.

■ International Automation Association

The International Automation Association (ISA) is a U.S.-based non-profit professional organization established by international experts, and its standards are approved and certified by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The most important safety standard of ISA is ISA-84, which is equivalent to IEC 61511 (i.e., functional safety for process industries) and covers safety instrumentation systems (SIS) in process industries.

The ISA-84 standard provides detailed guidelines for all stages of the safety lifecycle, from initial risk assessment and determination of the Safety Integrity Level (SIL) to the design and engineering, maintenance, testing, and final disposal of the SIS. One of the key features of this standard is its emphasis on ensuring that the SIS is properly managed over the long term by creating a specification of safety requirements and maintaining the documentation continuously.

■ Applying Safety Standards in Actual Field

The existence of standards in documentation is a separate issue from actual industrial systems and facilities meeting them. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure that these standards are properly implemented in the field.

To this end, certification, testing, and conformity assessment play an important role. Various organizations and systems exist that certify whether parts, machinery, or systems comply with relevant safety standards.

One of the well-known examples in the European Union (EU) is CE marking.

CE marking is a regulatory conformity mark indicating that a product meets the essential requirements of all applicable EU directives.

To affix the CE mark, manufacturers must ensure that their products comply with European standards, many of which are based on ISO/IEC standards.

In addition, for high-risk products, testing or review is often required to be performed by an independent Notified Body.

In North America, certifications from organizations such as UL Solutions and CSA Group are considered the standard.

The fact that equipment has a UL certification or CSA mark attached means that the relevant organization has tested the product and determined that it meets the relevant safety standards, which generally also aligns with ANSI/IEC standards.

For example, if a UL 508A label is attached, it means that the structure and components of the industrial control panel meet fire and electric shock protection requirements.

UL certification is not mandatory under U.S. federal law, but many local regulations and industrial customer requirements necessitate it.

■ Costs of Non-compliance

Of course, complying with safety standards and regulations is not merely about avoiding fines. Its essence lies in protecting lives. However, if companies neglect safety to cut costs, the consequences can be very serious.

The first thing to happen is casualties resulting from safety failures.

Companies that overlook this must also face massive financial penalties. Regulatory agencies around the world impose fines and legal liability on companies that violate safety laws and standards, and the level increases even more, especially if negligence is proven.

For example, in the United States, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regularly inspects workplaces and imposes penalties for violations.

Fines per violation can reach tens of thousands of dollars, and in some cases, even higher.

In a 2023 OSHA investigation, a fine of approximately $185,000 was imposed in connection with the death of a 20-year-old worker at a manufacturing company in Alabama who was trapped and killed by a machine part without a safety device.

■ Conclusion

Safety in automation and industrial environments is a complex ecosystem combining rigorous standards, thorough engineering, continuous training, and third-party supervision. However, ultimately, everything boils down to one simple truth: the life of every worker is irreplaceable, and all accidents can be prevented through appropriate preventive measures.

※ Author Introduction
Abhishek Jadhav holds a Master's degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering and began his career as a technical writer. He has over five years of experience as a freelance technical writer, with his main interests being power electronics and embedded systems. His writings have been published in various media outlets, including EE Times, embedded.com, and Power Electronics News.