Iec 60073 Pdf

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."

Full Title: IEC 60073: Basic and safety principles for man-machine interface, marking and identification — Coding principles for indicators and actuators

Yes, indirectly. Virtual buttons on an HMI should follow the same color meanings. However, tactile coding does not apply to touchscreens.

| Myth | Reality per IEC 60073 | |------|------------------------| | “Green means go, red means stop – same as traffic lights.” | In traffic lights, red means stop and green means go. In machinery, green = normal/ready, red = fault/emergency. An emergency stop button is red. A start button is green. Consistent, but not identical to traffic logic. | | “Flashing red means alarm; steady red means stop.” | Both are red = danger. Flashing only increases urgency, not changes meaning. | | “Blue means cold/water.” | No – blue means “mandatory action” (e.g., reset a lockout). | | “White is for neutral start.” | Correct – white has no safety meaning; use for general functions. | iec 60073 pdf

When visual is insufficient (noisy environment, operator not looking), sounds provide coded meaning:

| Sound Type | Meaning | |------------|---------| | Continuous steady tone | General attention (e.g., start-up warning) | | Intermittent (beep, 1 Hz) | Normal confirmation (e.g., keypress) | | Fast intermittent (2+ Hz) | Urgent warning, approaching danger | | Wailing / rising pitch | Emergency evacuation or critical fault | | Chime / pleasant tone | Success, normal completion |

Safety note: Auditory codes must be distinct from background noise and from other alarms (e.g., fire vs. machine fault). In the EU, under the Machinery Directive, harmonized

Over the years, several myths have emerged around this standard. Let’s debunk them:

Myth 1: "Red always means stop, green always means go."
Truth: For indicators, red means danger/fault; green means normal. For actuators, red means stop; green means start. But for a reset button, blue is preferred.

Myth 2: "Flashing means the same as steady."
Truth: Flashing indicates a change or request for action. A steady red light could mean "machine off but hazardous voltage present." A flashing red light means "immediate danger." | Myth | Reality per IEC 60073 |

Myth 3: "Older versions are fine."
Truth: Using IEC 60073:1991 could cause non-conformity with modern machinery directives (e.g., EU Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC).

The print version costs roughly the same as the PDF. Consider sharing a multi-user license within a small team.