‘Safety’ is a relative term and has different meanings in different situations. The use of the term ‘safety’ in relation to persons as distinct from damage to operating plant under abnormal conditions is discussed. Examples are given pertaining to an installation involving robots, conveyors and other handling plant where a man-machine interface is required for normal operation. The reliability of devices used to provide safety and the need to keep such devices foolproof is discussed. The paper also discusses the possibility of the creation of hazards by removing power from moving machinery in an emergency.
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