Safety Is a Culture Worth

Adopting
 Describe the importance of health and safety when
P5 working with programmable controlled equipment.

Lesson Objectives
 Understand the importance of health and safety related to
PLC
 Discuss in group the safety practices while working with
PLC
 Be able to solve the what-if scenarios related with PLC
 Purpose of Health and Safety
• Safety of human life, workplace, resources and
environment
• The operation, machine/set up should not lead to
any hazards.
• Avoidance and minimization of risks and hazards
• Additional measures if hazards can not be eliminated
• Information about the remaining risk
 Basic Terms
Harm - physical injury or damage to health.
• Hazard is any source of potential damage, harm or adverse health effects
on something or someone.

Can you examples of hazards

Objects could fall height

Hanging objects
Uncovered machines
Live wires
Working machines
 What is Risk ?
Risk is the chance or probability that a person will be harmed or
experience an adverse health effect if exposed to a hazard.

It may also apply to situations with property or equipment loss, or

harmful effects on the environment.

Live wire is hazard……..risk is anyone touching it directly

Machine running is hazard….anyone coming close or putting hand

is at risk
 Technician

PLC
PPE
Hardware
Sources of
PLC Health &
Safety
Problems

Visitors Workplace

Policies
 PLC :Importance of Health and
Safety
 Make sure the PLC has a single point of ground, this
improves the protection from shock and electrical noise.
The ground wires used should be kept short as possible and
adequate wire size.( use, such as 2mm2 (14AWG).
 You should supply a switch which can terminate the power
from all PLC equipment used if need to.
 A fuse of circuit breaker should be used to protect against
over current on the supply wiring. Also each input/outputs
could each have their own fuse for protection.
 Some kind of anti surge protection should also be fitted to
stop any lighting surges from damaging any of the PLC
equipment.
 Make sure there are switches to isolate the PLC or individual modules so
trained personnel can work on them item without electrocution.
 Double check all connections before powering on as incorrect wiring, build
could lead to physical injury to people, or damage to equipment.

 All wires should be adequate to carry the correct current for all DC/AC cables,
If wrong cable used then this could end catching on fire. Also try to keep all
wires as short as possible.

 Care must be taken to avoid placing low-voltage signal wires and

communications cable next to AC cables as could lead to potential
interference.

 There must be training given to all the persons that would use the
system about use and safety aspects.

Make sure all external load connected to output does NOT exceed the rating of
output module. Overcurrent exceeding the rating of output module could
cause fire, damage or erroneous operation.
Completely turn off the power supply before loading
or unloading the module.
When install the PLC in environment of much
vibration, be sure to insulate the PLC from direct
vibration. Not doing so could cause electric shock,
fire, and erroneous operation.
• Popper use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is
highly recommended to avoid exposure to
radiations/shock etc.
Personal protective equipment (PPE) refers to
protective clothing, helmets, goggles, or other
garments or equipment designed to protect the
wearer's body from injury or infection. The hazards
addressed by protective equipment include physical,
electrical, heat, chemicals, biohazards, and airborne
particulate matter.
• Safety PLC is specially designed PLC to enable safety
functions.
• It’s a system that uses two or three microprocessors to
perform the same logic.
• Use of Infrared Beams: If somebody enters in danger
zone, then the beam is cut and it shuts down the system.
• Pressure sensitive sensors placed in floor mats within the
work place that react to the weight of an individual and
can be used to detect intrusion in the area.
Safety PLCs
Safety PLCs are specially designed to enable safety
functions to be realized. In a safety PLC there can be two
or three microprocessors that perform exactly the same
logic, check against each other, and give outputs only if
there is agreement. An example of such a PLC is the
SIMATIC S5-95F. This is a two-channel system with two
identical subsystems that communicate with each other
via a fiber-optic cable link. The inputs from the sensors
are fed simultaneously to both subsystems. During
operation, data is passed between the two subsystems via
the fiber-optic cable. They operate in synchronism with the
same program and compare input and output signals, the
results of logic operations, counters, and the like, and
automatically go into a safe-stop condition if there are
different outputs or internal faults or failures. For safety-
related digital outputs, actuators are switched on or off
from both subsystems. This means that one subsystem
Input Devices
• The input devices to PLC are mostly switches and
sensors .
• Switches: Mechanical, Photo, Proximity, Limit switch.
• Before connecting any input device with the PLC, it is
advisable to get training and read the specifications
carefully.
 Location of Stop Switch:

• A stop switch is used to stop/halt the process or the system.

• The location of stop switch is very crucial for a safe PLC system.

• The situation shown in Fig . 1 is considered NOT safe.

Fig 1: Unsafe of stop switch

The stop switch is normally closed in the program while its normally open in the
hardware.
If stop malfunctions and remains closed, then the system can not
be stopped.
It is unsafe and can cause a major problem.
 • A safe stop switch is the one which is programmed to
close and normally closed in hardware as shown in Fig
2.

Fig 2: Safe of stop switch

Thus the stop switch contact needs to be open through

program.
Pressing the stop switch opens the switch contact and
stops the system.
Thus it’s a safe system.
 Location of Emergency stop:
• If emergency switch is input to the PLC then if PLC
malfunctions it would not be possible to stop the
motor. (Unsafe)
• If the emergency switch is at the output, operating it
would stop the motor and also causes the start switch
to unlatch. (Safe)
 Actuators or Output Devices:
• Use of ‘fail-safe’ principles so that the actuator takes up
the tripped state on loss of signal or power (electricity, air
etc.). e.g. held open, spring return actuator;
• Provision of uninterruptable or reservoir supplies of
sufficient capacity for essential power;
• Failure detection and performance monitoring (end of
travel switches, time to operate, brake performance,
shaft speed, torque etc.) during operation;
• Actuator exercising or partial stroke shutoff simulation
during normal operation to reveal failures or degradation
in performance. Note this is not proof testing but may
reduce probability of failure by improved diagnostic
coverage (IEC 61508);
• Overrating of equipment.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/comah/sragtech/techmeascontsyst.htm
Alarm systems
• Alarm systems alert operators to plant conditions,
such as deviation from normal operating limits and to
abnormal events, which require timely action or
assessment.
• Alarm systems are not normally safety related, but do
have a role in enabling operators to reduce the
demand on the safety related systems, thus improving
overall plant safety.
 • Valves should be properly selected for their duty, and
it should not be assumed that a control valve can
satisfactorily perform isolation functions.
• Check the potential for failure due to hydraulic locking
between valves (e.g. trace heated lines between
redundant shutoff valves).
• Make use of advanced technology such as relief valve.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/comah/sragtech/techmeascontsyst.htm
•Environment is the physical accommodation
and surroundings in which the control systems
(including the operator) are required to work.
• Internal influence includes physical accommodation or
routings, environmental conditions (humidity,
temperature, flammable atmospheres).
• External influences such as electromagnetic radiation
and hazards which might affect the operation of the
control system during normal or abnormal conditions
such as fire, explosion, chemical attack etc.
• PLC must be protected from all such environmental
hazards.
Range of input and output

• It is very important to take into consideration the

voltages and current that a PLC can work with and
the specifications/ratings of input-output devices.

Input levels Output levels

 Risk Assessment
• It is to decide what might cause harm to people and
decide whether you are taking reasonable steps to
prevent that harm.
How to assess the risks in your workplace
•Identify the hazards
•Decide who might be harmed and how
•Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions

•Record your significant findings

•Review your assessment and update if necessary

Risk Assessment Process
• What is an assessment and how do I do it ?
• A fail-safe or fail-secure device is one that, in the event
of a specific type of failure, responds in a way that will
cause no harm, or at least a minimum of harm, to other
devices or danger to personnel.
• Hydrolock (a shorthand notation for hydrostatic lock) is
an abnormal condition of any device which is designed
to compress a gas by mechanically restraining it; most
commonly the reciprocating internal combustion engine,
the case this article refers to unless otherwise noted.

• Hydrolock occurs when a volume of liquid greater than

the volume of the cylinder at its minimum (end of the
piston's stroke) enters the cylinder. Since most common
liquids are incompressible the piston cannot complete its
travel; either the engine must stop rotating or a
mechanical failure must occur.
• The relief valve (RV) is a type of valve used to control or
limit the pressure in a system or vessel which can build
up for a process upset, instrument or equipment failure,
or fire. The pressure is relieved by allowing the
pressurized fluid to flow from an auxiliary passage out
of the system.
The Primary Points of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 is long and detailed. You
can download a full copy here. However, the primary provisions of
the HSW include:
•The requirement for safe operation, including maintenance, of the
workplace environment including plant, equipment, and systems.
•Maintenance of safe access, and exits, at the workplace.
•Safe usage of, including handling and storage, of dangerous and
hazardous chemicals and substances.
•Adequate and appropriate health and safety training for staff.
•Adequate and appropriate welfare provisions for staff in the
workplace.
•The requirement that employers must keep and update a written
Health and Safety Policy, which is formulated in conjunction with
the Act, and in consultation with the employees or their
representatives.