"A recent [Aberdeen] report found best-in-class organisations are 81% more likely than low performing organisations to [benefit from] outside services to design and install compliant machinery safety solutions," commented Mark Eitzman, manager of safety market development at Rockwell Automation.
"The challenge comes in finding and vetting the most capable provider for the job. Rockwell Automation created the Machinery Safety System Integrator Program to ease that process and connect manufacturers to machinery safety system integrators they can trust."
To join the programme, candidates must meet stringent requirements and complete a rigorous, months-long assessment and education process. Only existing Rockwell Automation Solution Partners or Recognised System Integrators qualify. Candidates must have three to five years of demonstrated machinery safety experience. Rockwell Automation recognises third-party certification from industry-accepted organisations, such as TÜV or exida.
Upon meeting these initial requirements, machinery safety experts conduct a candidate assessment to determine if additional training or experience is required. The candidate's safety engineers must then complete training modules on topics, such as global safety standards, safety risk assessment practices, and different types of safeguarding applications. Finally, the candidate must submit a machinery safety project to ensure it demonstrates methods consistent with global standards.
The collaborative nature between Rockwell Automation and its Machinery Safety System Integrators allows for seamless assessment, design, mitigation and validation of machinery safety systems, it is claimed. And as members of the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork programme, these companies also commit to an active and extensive relationship with Rockwell Automation to provide the most productive and cost-effective automation solutions to their customers.
Twenty companies from around the globe have joined the programme.
