Posted to News on 7th Jun 2018, 10:19
New machinery safety consultancy with decades of experience
Astute Machinery Consultants Ltd is a new business established by Les Young, an experienced specialist who has spent the last twelve years working for some of the biggest names in the world of machinery safety. Alongside Les Young is Bill Raine, one of the most respected people in the machinery safety sector. Bill Raine is a non-executive technical director at Astute and applies his skills when Astute is called upon to work with bespoke - and sometimes 'weird and wonderful' - machines that need assessing or certifying. The third member of the Astute team is Jim Davis, an Associate Consultant and Engineer. Jim Davies is a fully qualified industrial automation control and instrumentation engineer with over 20 years' experience with the paper, packaging and high-speed machinery.
Services provided by Astute can be summarised as follows:
- Machinery Status Evaluation - an overview of the safety and legal compliance status of the machine(s), identifying any immediate safety concerns.
- CE Marking - Astute can can help and support machine builders and OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) with the original CE Marking of new machines or the re-CE Marking of machines that have been substantially modified or refurbished; similarly, for end-users of machines Astute can support the CE Marking of newly created 'complex assemblies' and re-CE Marking of machinery that has been substantially modified or manufactured in-house.
- Machinery CE Compliance Inspection - if a client purchases a new machine, an inspection by Astute's consultants will identify non-compliances with the requirements of the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC in respect of the certification, documentation, the fundamentals of the operation and safety, and the key standards applicable to the machine.
- Machinery Risk Assessment - a formal assessment conducted in accordance with the requirements of EN ISO 12100:2010.
- Machinery PUWER Assessment - Astute's consultants undertake PUWER assessments whenever they are required, including before the machine is put into service for the first time, at regular intervals thereafter, if it is moved, relocated or sold, and at any time the safety of the machine has been jeopardised.
- Bespoke, Additional and Supplementary Services - non-specific consultancy support, technical advice and guidance, plus design advice and technical support for bespoke applications, scenarios, or assisting clients in complying with applicable legislation, directives, regulations and standards.
- Training - Astute offers a wide range of standard training modules that clients can choose from to assemble a customised course, or Astute can work with clients to create fully bespoke training to suit the needs of individuals and the business.
Astute Machinery Consultants is truly independent, with no formal ties to corporate manufacturers of machinery safety devices or components. This independence enables the consultants to focus on clients' real needs without the distraction or complications of any single corporate component manufacturer financially backing the consultants' work. It also enables the consultants to recommend the right safety product, component or solution, for the right application, while adhering to the 'hierarchy of control' and all the appropriate directives, regulations and standards for reducing the levels of risk from machinery.
All of the operational consultants are TUV Rhineland Certified Functional Safety Engineers (FSEng) and hold European or national specialist accreditations and registrations in their respective knowledge and technology fields such as functional safety, electrical engineering, hydraulics and pneumatics; they also have knowledge of COSHH, LOLER, DSEAR and ATEX, and Les Young is IOSH qualified for the Noise Assessment of machinery.
Follow the link to find out more about Astute Machinery Consultants and how the team can help you with your machinery safety requirements, whether you are a machine builder (OEM) or end user.
