Creating systems for safe machine operation is critical for fluid power and machine manufacturers

Pneumatics

NFPA Introduces Functional Safety White Paper

Jan. 2, 2025

The NFPA's newest white paper aims to provide a resource to help guide development of Functional Safety systems for hydraulic and pneumatic applications.

Sara Jensen

The National Fluid Power Association (NFPA) has published a new white paper on Functional Safety and how it factors into the design of hydraulic and pneumatic systems.

Functional Safety refers to systems which automatically initiate a function to protect a machine user from harm. For example, if during operation an industrial robot detects a person in its workspace it will stop or make another maneuver to avoid causing harm to the person. These systems typically react based on predefined criteria programmed into them.

According to NFPA, machine builders and manufacturers have indicated that Functional Safety is an essential part of the fluid power systems they are integrating into their machines. Its importance is likely to only increase as machines of various types become more automated to ensure safe operation.

What is an NFPA Task Force?

After the NFPA published its 2023 Technology Roadmap — a document meant to help guide fluid power developments — the association established two Technology Task Forces. The goal of these task forces was to bring together industry members to help identify areas where more information or training may be necessary to assist future hydraulic and pneumatic system developments.

One task force is focused on mobile applications and the other on industrial. This helps to ensure fluid power technologies are addressing the unique requirements of these applications.

Creation of white papers like the machine safety one recently published by NFPA are among the many projects these task forces are undertaking to help the fluid power industry better understand the trends and technology requirements shaping current and future machine designs.

NFPA’s Industrial Task Force also noted Functional Safety as an important topic area for the association and its members to focus their discussions and development efforts around. To better help the fluid power industry understand this topic and the technologies related to it, the task force set out to create a white paper which, per the NFPA, would provide the following:

Review existing safety standards and machine directives;
Assess risks and hazards associated with fluid power’s use in upgrading older machines to automated functions and identifies common functions to address;
Identify best practices and emerging technologies that minimize risks and hazards in those functions; and
Provide a resource to members that helps them understand and address the safe use of their systems.

The white paper includes insights provided by members of the Industrial Task Force who shared their own expertise in deploying Functional Safety in fluid power systems. Information and resources as well as recommendations were provided to help create the final document and provide other fluid power industry members with the knowledge they will need to help create safe machine systems.

NFPA also plans to hold a webinar on April 10, 2025, to discuss the white paper and its contents further. The white paper “2024 NFPA Technology Task Force Report Machine Safety Compendium” can be downloaded from the association’s website.

About the Author

Sara Jensen | Executive Editor, Power & Motion

Sara Jensen is executive editor of Power & Motion, directing expanded coverage into the modern fluid power space, as well as mechatronic and smart technologies. She has over 15 years of publishing experience. Prior to Power & Motion she spent 11 years with a trade publication for engineers of heavy-duty equipment, the last 3 of which were as the editor and brand lead. Over the course of her time in the B2B industry, Sara has gained an extensive knowledge of various heavy-duty equipment industries — including construction, agriculture, mining and on-road trucks —along with the systems and market trends which impact them such as fluid power and electronic motion control technologies.

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