THE SAFETY OF AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGY.

Seimen,(2005) emphasized that in an effort to help customer and end user adopt safety measures in equipment and plant ,Seimens automation and drive laughed safety technology and engineering partnership (STEP), a life cycle safety engineering services which cover risk assessment ,validation,continue maintenance re-validation.
STEP responds to the needs of greater understanding of both regulations and standards in the market place.Its launch follows a HSES survey entitled : out of control; which revealed that 60% of failure analysed were caused by incorrect design or implementation of a safety system.This mean that the system were fundamentally flawed even before the equipment was put into service.Th remaining 40% of accidents were caused by poor installation,incorrect maintenance and uncontrolled modifications.none of the failure was as a result of product specification.As path of STEP, Seimens has asked its distributors to commit where possible to increase their knowledge and advised capabilities in the field of safety- where this has not been possible, normally through lack of available resources,the company had sourced a third party organization to provide these services direct to the distributor. Solution being provided are also being put through the same process. Each company will be accessed;on its ability to supply equipment and plant with a complete safety solution .Accessment is being based on establishing and qualifying the competency levels of such integrator s, a process which could be monitored as safety standard developed .To complete the equipment and plant port folio of safety product is a new frequency converter The latest edition to the semantic ET 2005  family for the converter deliver speed control for asynchronous motors , solve drive task  ranging from few frequency through a stringent  vector control and includes functionalities such as safety integrated and hot swapping .The new converted has series of integrated control mechanism that increases the safety of the equipment and plant especially where there is a risk of personnel injury .the safety function such as safe stop prevent intentional starting of the drive and safe braking ramp, such as monitor and stand still . The equipment and plant  safety relieve prevent starting speed limit from being exceeded and could be implemented without the need of motor encoders at minimal outlay .( Siemen,,2005)