The revision will closely align AS 4024.1 Series with European machinery safety standards
Standards Australia announces several revisions to the Australian Standard AS 4024.1 Series – Safety of Machinery to align with global standards and strengthen workplace safety.
The revised parts have been individually issued at this stage with the entire standard due to be released as a 2014 version once the application guide (part 1100) is finalised later this year.
The AS 4024.1 series provides guidelines to designers, manufacturers, suppliers, employers and users of machinery to help reduce the risks of working with, or near machinery.
Pilz Australia Managing Director Scott Moffat explains that the Safety of Machinery Standard has grown in relevance over time, and has recently been adopted as an AS/NZS Standard. The revision will closely align it with the European machinery safety standards.
According to Mr Moffat, the revision is a logical step to continue to update AS 4024.1 Series to European standards as they lead the world in this area of machinery safety.
Standards Australia’s Technical Committee said the principle task of the 2014 revisions for the AS 4024.1 Series was to consider the latest international standards and incorporate these into the original 2006 Standard.
Overall, 19 Parts have been revised (1201, 1302, 1401, 1601&2, 1604, 1701-4, 1801&3, 1901-7); two new Parts have been added (1303, 1503); and four Parts superseded and withdrawn (1101, 1202, 1301, 1802) with the application guide (1100) to follow.
Key changes in the Australian Standard AS 4024.1 include:
The risk assessment approach parts 1201 & 1303 (new) have been updated to reflect the global standards of ISO12100 (Machine Safety, General principles of design, risk assessment and risk reduction) and ISO14121-2 (Practical examples of Risk Assessments);
A new Part 1503 that now gives the practitioner the option to design safety related control systems using ISO13849-1 and the Performance Level (PL) approach. Part 1501 (Category approach) remains in the standard and the option is still open to the designer;
Parts 1602 (Interlocking Devices) and 1604 (Emergency Stop) are now both direct text adoptions of their international standards, ISO14119 and ISO13850 respectively;
Guarding Parts 1801 (Safety Distances) and 1803 (Minimum Gaps) are also now both direct text adoptions of their international standards, ISO13857 and ISO13854.
Mr Moffat adds that Pilz Australia and New Zealand is well placed to assist customers with the revised Standard, given the company’s rich European background aided by a large number of technical experts locally and globally who are very familiar with all the European standards.
Read more at http://www.ferret.com.au/c/pilz-australia/changes-to-australian-standard-as-4024-1-n2516340#0F6ip7xIdg8zD6hf.99