Preparing the published article.
Safety Terms: Category, Performance Level and Stop
Safety vocabulary is precise, and the precision matters.
Key terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Category or performance level | Reliability required of a protective function |
| Protective stop | A stop initiated by a safety device |
| Emergency stop | A stop initiated by a person |
| Safeguard | A guard or device that reduces risk |
| Risk assessment | The process that determines what is required |
Common confusions
- A higher category is not automatically safer; the design must address the hazard.
- Emergency stop is not a substitute for guarding.
- Verification is part of compliance, not paperwork afterwards.
Determining required levels is a specialist task. Confirm with a competent safety engineer.