Investing in high quality emergency stop pushbuttons and isolator switches could save your business from litigation, reputational damage and financial penalties. But all too often, these critical components are prime candidates for cost-cutting swaps, with many opting for lower quality options – but what is the real cost?
Heavy industrial machinery, cutting equipment and moving hardware pose a safety concern for those operating them and those in the nearby vicinity. As a result of red tape (such as The Supply of Machinery Safety Regulations 2008), it’s recommended (and sometimes mandated) that these machines have stopping mechanisms that, according to the law:
Must be designed and constructed in such a way as to prevent hazardous situations from arising.
That same legislation also describes how all machinery with drive systems should be controlled or respond when an emergency push button is activated:
Even the most sophisticated pushbutton or isolator switch design enables you to interact with it in one way: turn it off (isolate) or on. A button that fails to do this fails by every measure: but should you need to pay a premium to use a button with a fancy design quirk or better materials when it does that same job?
The emergency power off (EPO or e-stop) button is an all-important piece of equipment that has prevented an uncountable number of disasters. Although they’re still not required by US law, they became a de-facto standard following an incident in the Pentagon in 1959. The incident resulted in industry bodies producing standards recommending emergency-stop buttons are designed into all heavy machinery. The incident cost the US treasury $6million in damages.
Choosing a part, switch, isolator or pushbutton is not always about function. Intrinsically, we want to design machines that work well, operate efficiently and – crucially – safely. Good quality products enable machines to do just that.
The biggest differentiator between high and low quality components is in their reliability, continuity and durability, often when:
Accreditations are guarantees of quality and, at the very least, demonstrate a manufacturer’s quality intentions. Manufacturers with a dedication to quality should be recognised by the following accreditations:
When selecting components for your projects, choosing a reliable, high-quality and trusted manufacturer is important for your operations and your customers. In this article, we’ve highlighted some of the important factors to consider – this includes, certification, international accreditations, materials, build quality and supply chain verification.
At Dalroad, we provide high-performance industries with high quality products. We’re proud partners of EAO, the Swiss manufacturer of high quality e-stop buttons, isolator switches and more. They have been serving customers all over the world, with a diverse portfolio of customers including the likes of rail manufacturers.
To learn more to see EAO’s complete range of components, browse the complete EAO range. Or, if you’re looking for expert advice and guidance on the components you’re looking for, get in touch with the experts at Dalroad.
