Last year, Robert van de Ven (USP) presented as a guest speaker during one of the CRH Benelux Safety Meetings, providing a technical introduction to the Fortress captive key system. This year, he is joined by colleague Rick de Jonge to represent USP at the CRH Europe Safety Best Practice Meeting in Amsterdam.
During this event, professionals from multiple CRH divisions across Europe share practical case studies and operational improvements. Machine safety remains a key topic within CRH. USP will inform participants about the most current solutions in lockout-tagout (LOTO), trapped key interlocking, safety switches, release switches, and machine guarding.
In recent years, USP has supported CRH extensively in securing its machinery, including mixers, transfer lines, bucket conveyors, and palletising systems. The use of our robust PLe / SIL 3-certified interlocks and trapped key systems is particularly suitable for cement and concrete production environments. These components are engineered for long-term operation under severe industrial conditions.
Our door interlocks and safety switches provide a maximum retention force of 10,000 N and are tested to 1,000,000 operating cycles. In addition, they offer a large misalignment tolerance, which is essential in heavy-duty, dust-laden environments. Interlock systems are also ideal for upgrading machine safety on existing installations, as they require only minimal modification to the control architecture.
According to Robert van de Ven, providing accurate and practical knowledge on machine safety is essential for ensuring that engineering teams, maintenance staff, and operational leadership can make informed decisions about safeguarding industrial processes.
“It is encouraging to see that machine safety holds such a prominent position on the agenda. Within CRH, maintaining a safe working environment is an absolute top priority. After all, we are talking about the most valuable asset of any organisation: its employees.”
If you have any questions regarding our products or machine-safety solutions, please feel free to contact one of our technical specialists. They will provide non-binding guidance on the most suitable applications for your facility.
If preferred, we can also visit your site to assess the installation and advise on the appropriate safeguarding measures.
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