How important are “safety distance” calculations, and who should assume the responsibility for making this calculation?
Safety distance calculations are essential to the effective application and use of safety light curtains. Failure to respect the required safe distance in a given application may place personnel at risk of injury. Since proper safety distance calculations require consideration of ambient conditions, equipment stop times, response times of other interposing light curtain safety system components (such as motor contactors, control relays, safety controllers, etc.), such calculations are best done by the OEM supplying the light curtain as an integral component to their machine or equipment, or alternatively by the end-user in whose facility the light curtain is being installed.
