This page decides
Which access tasks, gate types, interlock functions, guard locking, reset, restart and escape questions belong in the project handoff.
Access guide · integrator responsibility
Machine-Guarding Gates, Interlocks, Restart & Escape
Treat every gate as a change of machine state and assign physical, controls and validation responsibilities before quotation.
Page responsibility
One page, one decision.
Use this guide for the stated decision, then move the result into the next project step.
This page does not decide
A safety-function design, performance level, circuit, stopping time, interlock selection, validation or conformity decision.
Carry forward
Give the task and hazard information to the machine integrator and controls specialist, then coordinate the physical gate and interfaces against their approved design.
Direct answer
A gate creates an operating state, not just an opening.
Define what the machine must do before, during and after access.
Every personnel door, material gate, sliding opening and removable panel changes how people enter the safeguarded space. The project must determine whether opening the guard stops hazardous functions, whether locking is required until risk has ceased, how trapped-person or whole-body access is addressed, where reset is located, and what prevents unexpected restart. The fence supplier can coordinate frames, clear openings, posts and mounting for approved devices, but the integrator owns the safety function and validation unless the contract explicitly says otherwise.
Access schedule
Describe the task before selecting hardware.
Normal access, servicing and emergency conditions may need different routes.
| Question | Buyer / integrator states | Supplier coordinates | Do not infer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who enters and why? | Operator, setter, cleaner, maintenance, contractor or material flow; task frequency and duration. | Clear opening, swing/slide envelope, posts, infill and mounting zones. | One door type suits every task. |
| What hazard remains? | Motion, stored energy, heat, process, ejection and time to reach a safe state. | Physical separation and space for approved equipment. | Closing the mesh gate removes the hazard. |
| What control behavior? | Stop command, guard locking, reset, restart prevention, fault response and diagnostics. | Prepared interfaces and protected device mounting after approval. | A lock or switch creates a validated safety function. |
| Can a person remain inside? | Whole-body access, visibility, escape/release, presence detection and search procedure. | Door hardware and geometry compatible with the approved concept. | An external latch is an adequate escape arrangement. |
| How is release controlled? | Drawing, device schedule, wiring/logic owner, validation evidence and commissioning status. | As-built physical records and supplied-component list. | A product catalogue equals system validation. |
Lifecycle
Review access in every operating mode.
Many exposures occur outside steady automatic production.
- 01
List tasks and modes.
Include teaching, setup, loading, cleaning, inspection, jam clearing, maintenance and recovery from faults.
- 02
Define the safe state.
Record what must stop, what energy remains, when access is allowed and whether guard locking is needed.
- 03
Design reset and restart behavior.
Prevent the access door from becoming an automatic restart command and address visibility or whole-body occupancy.
- 04
Validate and retain records.
Keep risk-assessment references, device data, circuit/logic responsibility, validation results, changes and commissioning approval together.
Official references
Use current documents for the actual market and machine.
These sources support questions; they do not certify the offered fence or control system.
official source
ISO 14119:2024
Principles for design and selection of interlocking devices associated with guards, including foreseeable defeat.
Open →official sourceISO 10218-2:2025
Safety requirements for integration and lifecycle of industrial robot applications and robot cells.
Open →official sourceOSHA robotics guidance
Explains robot-cell hazards and interlocked barrier guarding while keeping the solution application-specific.
Open →official sourceEU Machinery Regulation
Official EU text describing required characteristics of guards and protective devices; application date and market scope require review.
Open →Next decisions
Connect access to the full layout.
Carry approved access states, openings and responsibilities into drawings and the RFQ.