Plan machine safety mats around your machine hazards, operator tasks, access, stopping behaviour and validation evidence. Discuss a site-specific safeguarding concept with Oxford Machine Guarding.
Speak directly with Oxford Machine Guarding about pressure-sensitive safety-mat systems.
In brief
Choose machine safety mats by defining hazards and foreseeable access for pressure-sensitive safety-mat systems, machine motion and stopping behaviour, existing control-system architecture, and risk-reduction and validation evidence, then prove the preferred method using the machine, operating tasks and access requirements before the final system is specified.
Your final machine safety mats scope must also account for space, visibility and operator ergonomics, risk-reduction and validation evidence, current regulations and the conditions at your site.
Quick answer
When are safety mats suitable for detecting access around machinery?
For machine safety mats, begin with a competent review of hazards and foreseeable access for pressure-sensitive safety-mat systems, machine motion and stopping behaviour and the tasks people perform. Select the safeguard only after the required safety functions and risk-reduction and validation evidence are defined for the complete machine.
Six useful questions
Describe what you need from machine safety mats before choosing a solution
For safeguarding existing machinery for pressure-sensitive safety-mat systems, share the normal condition, realistic range and difficult cases the finished system must handle.
Question 1
Hazards and Foreseeable Access for Pressure-Sensitive Safety-Mat Systems
For your initial enquiry about machine safety mats, describe the current position, required outcome, acceptable limits and known exceptions for hazards and foreseeable access for pressure-sensitive safety-mat systems. That lets us compare options against your real production rather than one nominal value.
Question 2
Machine Motion and Stopping Behaviour
For your initial enquiry about machine safety mats, describe the current position, required outcome, acceptable limits and known exceptions for machine motion and stopping behaviour. That lets us compare options against your real production rather than one nominal value.
Question 3
Operating, Cleaning and Maintenance Tasks
For your initial enquiry about machine safety mats, describe the current position, required outcome, acceptable limits and known exceptions for operating, cleaning and maintenance tasks. That lets us compare options against your real production rather than one nominal value.
Question 4
Existing Control-System Architecture
For your initial enquiry about machine safety mats, describe the current position, required outcome, acceptable limits and known exceptions for existing control-system architecture. That lets us compare options against your real production rather than one nominal value.
Question 5
Space, Visibility and Operator Ergonomics
For your initial enquiry about machine safety mats, describe the current position, required outcome, acceptable limits and known exceptions for space, visibility and operator ergonomics. That lets us compare options against your real production rather than one nominal value.
Question 6
Risk-Reduction and Validation Evidence
For your initial enquiry about machine safety mats, describe the current position, required outcome, acceptable limits and known exceptions for risk-reduction and validation evidence. That lets us compare options against your real production rather than one nominal value.
Applications
Two useful starting points for machine safety mats
The right choice changes with hazards and foreseeable access for pressure-sensitive safety-mat systems, machine motion and stopping behaviour, your line layout and required results.
Your route from an initial enquiry to a working solution
You can review decisions about space, visibility and operator ergonomics and risk-reduction and validation evidence at each stage.
01
Survey the Machine, Tasks and Existing Safeguards
Share the machine, operating tasks and access requirements, including the normal range for hazards and foreseeable access for pressure-sensitive safety-mat systems and the difficult machine motion and stopping behaviour cases.
02
Review Risks and Agree the Safeguarding Concept
Compare suitable methods and use focused trials to show how each option performs against operating, cleaning and maintenance tasks.
03
Detail, Install and Control the Modification
Connect the equipment to your line, services and controls while resolving existing control-system architecture for day-to-day operation.
04
Inspect, Test and Document the Agreed Safety Functions
Confirm space, visibility and operator ergonomics, then complete and record risk-reduction and validation evidence before your operating team takes over.
Important limits
Know what needs a separate check
Current standards and required performance levels must be assessed for the complete machine and intended use.
A site survey and task-based risk assessment are required before a safeguard is selected.
Mechanical changes can affect access, visibility, cleaning and machine operation.
Your final solution for pressure-sensitive safety-mat systems must reflect the law, current standards and site-specific risks that apply to your installation.