Come say hello to Adam Haroz, one of CTI’s Engineering Managers, as he will be speaking at this year’s Region IV VPPPA Conference in Chattanooga, TN on June 19th.

Adam Haroz will be discussing how the regulations governing industrial machinery have shifted the need for conducting risk assessments on robotic systems from a good practice to now a mandatory requirement. The discussion will emphasize the benefits of conducting an on-site risk assessment. It will also highlight the need to identify the hazards and assess the potential risks associated with robot operations when selecting and designing safeguarding measures. He will review the methodology for conducting a risk assessment for different robotic systems, as well as other industrial equipment, how to assess the adequacy of current safeguards, and methods for determining the risk reduction measures required.

The Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) is designed to encourage cooperative efforts between employees, management and OSHA for the purpose of improving workplace safety and health. The VPP concept recognizes that workplace safety and health can be enforced in a compliance atmosphere and can be enhanced in a cooperative atmosphere. OSHA recognizes and partners with worksites that demonstrate excellence in Safety and Health.

Region IV VPPPA is the region that serves the eight Southeast states. (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee)

For more information on the VPPA or to register for the Region IV VPPA Conference click the following link: http://www.regionivvppconference.com/

Assessing risk has always played a vital role in the development and implementation of industrial machinery. Industrial robots, in particular, and other machinery are evolving, and therefore so are the needs and regulatory requirements for the identification and understanding of the risks involved in working with these machines. Thanks to the passage and enforcement of regulations governing the use of industrial machinery by organizations such as the Robotic Industry Association (RIA), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and the International Organization for Standards (ISO), conducting risk assessments on robotic systems and other machinery are not just good practices, they are mandatory. Continue reading “Risk Assessment Methodology for Robots and Other Machines”