Need to (want to) fit a Safety Light Curtain to a glass loader. Reason is, the loader is bigger than the original and the fencing no longer fits, access is required by the crane operator to load glass into the holders but it's also a route to a Fire Exit (extending the fence would block that).

Here's a link to a stock picture https://goo.gl/images/xz2mVt

Read up what I could find on its suitability and would like anyone experienced in specifying this option to comment.

What I can tell you is; the loader stops immediately when power is interupted (doesn't complete any cycle) and stays in position (hydraulics don't allow it to fall)

Regards

Graham

I'd recommend a read of BS EN ISO 12100:2010. (Safety of machinery. General principles for design. Risk assessment and risk reduction.) 

There is no correct answer here but the the exact choice of a safeguard for a particular machine shall be made on the basis of the risk assessment for that machine. 

Bear in mind any design changes will require re CE marking and a new PUWER assessment. 

With regard to fairlieg's comment, there is a requirement  under the essential health and safety requirements of the machinery directive to ensure that a machine does not automatically restart after a stoppage. This should require a manual intervention. With a correctly specified control system it should not be possible for the machinery to restart whilst a protective device is activated. 

Don't forget, you also will need to refer to EN 13849-1 for the design along with EN 60204-1, then the modifications need to be validated in accordance with EN 13849-2, and the wiring tested and inspected in accordance with EN 60204-1, if you are going to use the standards compliance route, which I would recommend.

You will also need to look at reach distances and approach speeds EN 13857 for reach distances by the upper body.

Next, you say the hydraulics will hold the unit up, if personnel can enter below this then the "hold-up" fnction is also a safety function under EN 13849, and must be assessed as such, designed and implemented as such, and validated as such to EN 13849-2, and you would also need to refer to EN 4413.

PD 5304 is also a useful guide.

Then you need also to look to EN 1037.

That's aong with the EN ISO 12100, EN ISO13855, already mentioned.

You are changing the fundemental safety principles of the machine safeguarding now, so you really need to ensure that the whole safety system and functions are adequate.

You are removing fixed guarding, where there was no access to an elevated load, and replacing with an electronic safety device which does allow access to an eleveated load, therefore the load supports are now part of the safety function.

Also, you have increased the load size so that will have a negative effect upon the machine design loading calculations by the OEM, so these would need to be verified, things like the c og g of the load, total mass, accelerations, load holding by the hydraulics etc. will all now need to form part of the technical file that you will need to generate to document that your modifications are safe, suitable and sufficient, to ensure the safety of the machine.

If you are stuck, PM.