Machine safety — Certified to the highest standard.
Risk assessment is not paperwork. It is the calculation that determines whether your machinery is legal to operate, and whether you can demonstrate that to a regulator. We are CMSE-certified and have been doing this work across Australian and international plants for more than twenty years.
What actually gets missed.
Under Australian WHS legislation, the duty holder is required to manage plant risk as far as reasonably practicable. In practice, that means a documented risk assessment exists. Safety functions are designed to a verified performance level under ISO 13849. The documentation can be produced if anyone asks.
Most plants cannot produce it.
We walk into most brownfield assessments and find one of three things. No documentation at all. A risk assessment written years ago that nobody has looked at since. Or a safety circuit installed by the panel builder with no PLr calculation attached. Any one of those is a problem. All three together is where incidents happen.
The risk does not change just because you have been running the line for a decade without incident. It just means the incident has not happened yet.
What we cover.
Risk assessment
ISO 12100 / AS/NZS 4024.1
- Hazard identification across all machine modes
- Risk estimation: severity, frequency, avoidance
- PLr determination per safety function
- Risk reduction measure specification
SISTEMA and verification
ISO 13849 performance level
- Full SISTEMA model, PLe calculated per function
- Component MTTFd, DC, CCF inputs documented
- Architecture categories verified (B, 1, 2, 3, 4)
- PLe vs PLr gap identification and remediation
Validation testing
AS/NZS 4024.3 / IEC 62061
- Functional test of every safety function
- Verified with machine under live operating conditions
- Signed validation report with test records
- Fault insertion testing where required
Documentation
What the regulator actually asks for
- Risk assessment report, CMSE-signed
- Safety requirements specification
- Maintenance schedules for safety functions
- CE marking technical file support for OEMs
How an assessment runs.
Walk
On-site visit. Hazard identification across every machine interaction — normal running, setup, cleaning, maintenance, jam clearing. We look at every mode, not just the one on the poster.
Assess
Risk estimation under ISO 12100. Severity, frequency of exposure, possibility of avoidance. Required Performance Level (PLr) determined for each safety function.
Design
Safety function specification. Component selection. Architecture and redundancy decisions. If existing safety circuits need remediation, the redesign happens here.
Calculate
SISTEMA model. Achieved Performance Level (PLe) verified against PLr for every function. Nothing is assumed — every input is traceable to a data sheet or standard.
Validate
Functional testing of every safety function with the machine running. Each function is verified, not assumed. Fault insertion testing where the risk level requires it.
Document
Risk assessment report, SISTEMA output, validation records, safety requirements specification, and maintenance schedule — all signed off by a CMSE.
The CMSE credential.
Our team holds the Certified Machinery Safety Expert (CMSE) qualification — the highest individual certification in machinery safety engineering. Fewer than 10,000 people hold it globally.
The qualification covers seven key standards. ISO 12100 (risk assessment), ISO 13849 (safety-related control systems), IEC 62061 (functional safety for electrical systems), EN ISO 11161 (integrated manufacturing systems), and three supporting standards. It requires passing a written examination. It requires renewal.
For an industry where the stakes are someone's physical safety, we think that bar is about right.
Our background in controls also means the safety assessment connects to what is actually implementable on your plant. A risk assessment that recommends safety functions your PLC platform cannot support is not a useful document.
Common questions.
Does every machine need a formal risk assessment in Australia?
Under Australian WHS legislation, yes — effectively. The duty to eliminate or minimise plant risk as far as reasonably practicable applies to all plant. The depth scales with the hazard, but the duty and the documentation requirement exist regardless of machine age or incident history.
What triggers a re-assessment on existing equipment?
Any modification that changes the hazard profile. New guards. Extended reach zones. Speed changes. New operator modes. Changed product. The modification re-assessment is the one most plants skip — and the one most likely to come up in an incident investigation. A machine that has been running safely for ten years under original specification does not necessarily require a re-assessment. The same machine after a modification does.
What is a CMSE?
Certified Machinery Safety Expert — the highest individual qualification in machinery safety engineering. The certification covers seven key standards including ISO 12100, ISO 13849, and IEC 62061. It requires passing a written examination and periodic renewal. Fewer than 10,000 people hold it globally.
Do you also design and install the safety modifications?
Yes, if needed. The assessment is a standalone service. If it identifies safety functions that need to be implemented or upgraded, we can design and deliver those as well — or work alongside your existing controls team. We do not build a dependency on further work.
How long does an assessment take?
Three to ten working days per machine, depending on complexity. A standalone conveyor with two safety functions takes less time than a multi-mode robot cell with interlocked access zones. We will scope it after the site walk — not before.
Continue exploring services.
All services →Automation consultancy
Concept-to-commissioning alignment, feasibility studies, process safety, and project documentation.
View service 01PLC, HMI, SCADA & MES
Structured, maintainable code — written, simulated, and tested before it ever sees a panel.
View service 04Commissioning
On-site, remote, and hybrid commissioning. Every device verified before handover.
View service