Machine Safety Services

Machine safety involves ensuring the safety and reliability of machinery in industrial and manufacturing environments. It mitigates risks associated with machinery operation and helps to ensure worker safety and compliance with national, international and industry-specific safety standards and regulations. It is essential throughout the life cycle of a machine, from design and testing to manufacturing and installation to operation, retrofits and upgrades, and decommissioning. As a leading global provider with local expertise, we can help you protect your employees, your machines and your business while ensuring regulatory compliance, wherever you are in the world.

What are the benefits?

Safer working environment
Reducing risk minimizes the chance of accidents and injuries, and identifying potential risks can prevent significant problems
Regulatory compliance
When safety requirements are met, penalties and legal issues are avoided
Aligned safety level across locations
Facilitate the upgrade of legacy machine fleets to meet corporate minimum requirements, regardless of age, site, country or origin of machines, for old, new or acquired sites
Reduced costs
Fewer accidents means fewer medical bills, insurance claims, legal fees and lost workdays
Improved efficiency and equipment longevity
Integrating safety features within machine operations reduces downtime, prevents excessive wear and tear, and reduces the need for costly repairs and premature replacements
Reduced cybersecurity risks
Protect against the risk of system malfunctions and physical harm by ensuring that machines operate safely, within prescribed parameters
Increased productivity
Ensuring a safe work environment boosts worker and customer confidence, and enhances brand image

We provide

Assessments
Evaluate hazards, analyze risk levels, define necessary safety measures and ensure regulatory compliance
Testing
Ensure all safety systems perform as designed and meet required protocols
Incident investigations and root cause analysis
Identify the cause of an accident, identify safety system failures and implement corrective actions
Training
For operators and maintenance staff to ensure they understand emergency response procedures and are up to date with safety protocols and changes in safety regulations
Program management
Manage multi-site and international campaigns to deploy corporate initiatives and guidelines to evaluate and secure existing machine fleet

We conduct machine safety assessments, focusing on potential hazards and risks, to protect workers, minimize the risk of accidents and ensure compliance with a wide variety of local and international safety regulations. We offer risk assessments to analyze mechanical, electrical and ergonomic hazards, as well as safety function assessments, to ensure that safety features, such as emergency stop mechanisms, protective barriers, interlocks and other control systems are effectively designed and function properly. Our assessments include testing and validation of safety systems in real-time conditions as well as document review.

While machine safety assessments can be performed as corrective actions after incidents, accidents or near misses, it is safer, wiser, and more cost-effective to conduct them during installation or regular maintenance, typically:

Before purchasing or installing new machines
During the design and development phase
When making modifications or upgrades
When introducing new operational procedures
During regular maintenance and safety audits
To maintain or renew certifications
When expanding into new markets or regions, to ensure continued regulatory compliance

Inspector Checking Bottles on a Conveyor Belt in Beverage Factory

We are committed to ensuring that your new machines are designed and built in compliance with a wide range of national and international regulations. This is crucial for market access in the EU, where CE Marking is mandatory, and in other regions where different national and local regulations apply.

Our comprehensive CE Marking services include:

Design review and supplier control: to ensure compliance from the outset
Preliminary inspections: onsite and at supplier locations, to address potential issues early on
Certification of compliance with the health and safety requirements of MD 2006/42/EC
Validation of safety functions and software: in accordance with EN ISO 13489
Final inspections: to confirm compliance with Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC and any applicable local regulations
Issuance of a document of conformity and CE marking: once compliance is assured

We also test for compliance with various other national and international standards, including:

Brazil: NR-12 (Norma Regulamentadora 12)
China: Safety Technical Code for Mechanical Equipment (GB 5226.1-2008) and GB/T 15706
USA: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
Other standards as required

We follow the ISO 11161 framework for the safety of integrated management systems (IMS), taking into account all relevant legal requirements, such as Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, EMC Directive 2014/30/EC, ATEX Directive 2014/34/EC as well as client specific guidelines, for IMS, equipment and the complete production line.

Our services cover production line analysis, hazard identification, validation of protective measures and more. We provide operational KPIs, plant safety and policy instructions, manuals and other support documents.

Engineer Examining Machine Part on a Production Line Clip

Why choose machine safety services from SGS?

As the world’s leading testing, inspection, and certification company with a global reach, we have extensive experience with a wide variety of machine safety standards and regulations around the world, such as OSHA in the US and CE marking in the EU. We stay up to date with the latest changes and apply a proactive approach to ensure your machines are always compliant.

For capital expenditure (CAPEX), we offer comprehensive services during the design, development and installation phases of new machines. For operational expenditure (OPEX), we provide ongoing safety assessments and inspections of older machines to ensure continued compliance with current regulations.

Whether you are investing in new equipment or maintaining existing machinery, we will help you to ensure safety and compliance.