The sixth edition of the Pilz 'Guide to Machinery Safety' contains 224 pages of useful information on the regulations affecting machinery safety, the supporting standards and risk assessment principles.

This edition also looks at various types of protection device and how they can be incorporated into a plant's safety system. New areas of safety technology are also covered, with sections on programmable safety systems and safe networking, and case studies are used to illustrate some of the main issues of concern. The book, which is intended to be the definitive engineers' guide to machine safety, is presented in a handy A5 format and is available free-of-charge from Pilz, or sections of the book can be viewed or downloaded directly from the Downloads section of the Pilz support website as PDF files.

The book looks at the requirements of The Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations, the Low Voltage Directive and the EMC Regulations, and includes a chapter on the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) 1998. A detailed section on risk assessment includes a worked example, going through the various stages necessary to ensure that the risk involved in using a machine is reduced to an acceptable level.

One of the larger sections of the book looks in detail at the application of a number of machinery protection devices and the role they play in an overall safety system. Attention is paid to the role of different types of guards and locking systems; the function and application of electrosensitive and optoelectronic devices are covered in detail, as are the use of emergency stop and two-hand devices. Typical connection diagrams provide invaluable practical assistance.

With the expansion of safety technology into the area of electronics-based systems, considerable space is devoted to the newer technologies in this fast-growing area. Programmable safety systems are growing in acceptance in the market place, and the book looks at the concept and philosophy of the new technology as well as the hardware and software that support it. Again, ample connection diagrams and graphics are used to illustrate their use.

The next exciting area for safety is the concept of a safe network that can be used to control the safety-related sections of a plant or process. The guide describes the thinking and technology behind Pilz's contribution to this new technology - SafetyBUS p - the first safe, open bus system to gain approval to EN 954-1 category 4.

With the case studies and some useful references and contacts in the Appendix, the 'Guide to Machinery Safety' is a practical book of all-round interest. Thousands of copies have already been mailed out free-of-charge, and thousands of people have downloaded sections of the book - or the complete publication - from the website.

To request a hard copy of the book, please call 01536 460766.

Alternatively, access PDF files directly from the Downloads section of the Pilz website at www.pilz.co.uk.

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