Safety issues in modern applications of robots

Since January 1995, machines not undergoing the appropriate European Community conformity assessment and not declared to comply with the essential health and safety requirements of the Machinery Directive may not be marketed in the European Community. The Machinery Directive fundamentally changes the way new machinery should be developed for safety. This paper outlines the requirements of the Machinery Directive and discusses potential difficulties in validating the safety of computer controlled machinery, particularly that used in robotics. The paper concludes that the way to address these problems practically is to use a thought through, risk based, quality approach that is used in the draft international standard IEC 1508.