Lectures / Machinery Safety and ISO 12100
Machinery Safety and ISO 12100
How machines are made safe by design rather than by warning signs. We cover guarding, interlocks, emergency stops and the risk-reduction principles of ISO 12100, plus what to check when a guard has been removed for maintenance.
Lecture · Machinery Safety
The general risk-assessment framework behind ISO 12100.
What you will take away
By the end of this session you will understand the key principles behind machinery safety and be able to apply them to your own workplace with confidence. The lecture keeps the theory practical and connects every point back to the relevant EN standards and tools available across SafetyOrbit.
Watch and follow up
Live sessions are announced on the Training Calendar, and recordings are added to the Lectures library afterwards. To go deeper on the standards referenced here, visit the EN Standards Library.
A guard removed for maintenance must be refitted and its interlock re-engaged before restart.
Related guidance
The technique notes behind this document, from Machinery & Manufacturing:
Frequently asked questions
What does ISO 12100 actually require?
It sets out the general risk-assessment and risk-reduction framework machine designers and employers use to make machinery safe by design – identifying hazards, estimating and evaluating risk, then applying the hierarchy of elimination, guarding and information for use.
What should be checked when a machine guard has been removed for maintenance?
Confirm the guard is refitted and any interlock re-engaged before the machine returns to service, and that no interim written procedure or additional control was needed to cover the exposure during the maintenance window itself.
What is the difference between a fixed guard and an interlocked guard?
A fixed guard requires a tool to remove and has no electrical link to the machine's control system, while an interlocked guard is monitored so the machine cannot run – or stops automatically – when the guard is open.
Does ISO 12100 replace machine-specific safety standards?
No, it is the general framework; specific machine categories are usually also covered by their own type C standards that apply ISO 12100's principles to that particular machine type.
Where can I watch this lecture?
Live sessions are announced on the Training Calendar, and recordings are posted afterwards to the Lectures library.