From cheese making to metal smelting, medical equipment and petrol, Australian companies are manufacturing a range of products for Australian and international purposes daily and use plenty of machinery while doing it. Enter the AS 4024 series, Safety of Machinery, a range of standards aimed at increasing the safety of machines and those using them.

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And the reach of this series of standards is greater still, including engineers, designers, safety officers and even those who simply work near machinery.

Made up of 26 standards, designed to give users of machines the tools to conduct detailed risk assessments so they can determine a safe, compliant design of fixed plant and machinery. The standards aim to outline safety and design guidelines that consider the many people impacted by the inner workings of machines.

One of the more dynamic parts of the series is AS/NZS 4024.1604:2019. This standard sets out to specify requirements and design principles for the emergency stop function on machinery. Emergency stops are an important aspect of machinery that can quickly stop an incident occurring, protecting both workers and machines.

Other standards included in the AS 4024 series cover the detail of safety control systems, presence sensing systems, guarding and ergonomic considerations to help deal with the level of risk.

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Accidents resulting in unsafe machinery reach far beyond those involved in the incident; whole communities, workplaces and families can be heavily impacted. By providing clear guidelines, this standard aims to increase the safety of workers, protecting both them and the broader Australian community.

This series is a tool that can be used by the sector to help achieve compliant, safe machinery and to assist in determining compliance with legal requirements.

Technology of machines may grow but the need to consider the safety of those using them will continue to be a priority. Standards Australia will continue to produce standards, like the AS 4024 series, with the aim of protecting Australians.

This case study is available in PDF format.

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