The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) establishes global benchmarks for electrical and electronic technologies. Among its vital publications is IEC 60073, a standard that dictates how human-machine interfaces (HMIs) communicate safety and operational status through visual, acoustic, and tactile signals.
In the EU, under the Machinery Directive, harmonized standards like EN 60073 (identical to IEC 60073) provide "presumption of conformity." While not a law itself, deviating from it requires risk assessment. In the US, OSHA references it as a "recognized standard."
: Place critical controls (like emergency stops) in isolated, easily reachable zones. iec 60073 pdf
Organizations like ANSI (US), BSI (UK), or DIN (Germany) also provide access to this standard. IEC 60073:2002
Indicates normal operating conditions or a safe state. The machine is running smoothly, or a specific zone is safe to enter. In the US, OSHA references it as a "recognized standard
This is where comes into play. Officially titled "Basic and safety principles for man-machine interface, marking and identification – Coding principles for indicators and actuators," this international standard eliminates ambiguity by defining the relationship between visual, auditory, and tactile signals and their meanings.
Familiar, consistent interfaces allow operators to work faster and with fewer mistakes. The machine is running smoothly, or a specific
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The standard assigns specific meanings to colors to indicate the state of a process or equipment: