ABSTRACT
Enable users to shut down machinery if a hazardous situation is developing or has occurred. Some tools, machines, processes, and systems can quickly go haywire and pose a serious hazard. And, there are cases where a person might be in harm’s way. That is why there are emergency shutdown controls. Such controls should be visually conspicuous, clearly labeled, large, and placed within the reach of users facing an emergency. Users should be able to actuate such controls quickly and with certainty that their action has triggered an immediate shutdown. Although emergency stop controls and “dead man’s switches” have a similar function—to quickly disable a machine in a dangerous situation—they differ in how they achieve the endpoint. Emergency stop controls on the other hand, do not require continuous engagement. Instead, the user must actuate the emergency stop control to stop the machine.
