Jokab Safety has released a new double sized Pluto module (90 mm in width), for the Pluto safety PLC system.

Jokab Safety has released a new double sized Pluto module (90 mm in width), for the Pluto safety PLC system. The Pluto B46-6 module has been developed from the need for a compact safety PLC module with more I/O's. It is available either with bus connection (B 46-6) or as a stand alone unit (S46-6).

Pluto B46-6 and S46-6 has in total 46 I/O's of which 6 are individual safe outputs.

16 I/O's can be used either as inputs or outputs and 24 I/O's are inputs for safety devices or other devices.

The 'Pluto Manager' software is based on ladder programming which makes Pluto practical to use for both safety monitoring and for the control of smaller machines and compatible for both B46 and A20 series.

The Pluto Manager Software is available free of charge and Jokab Safety UK run 1 day workshops to enable engineers to become familiar with safety PLC's.

A HMI can be connected directly to the serial interface on the front of the Pluto module or to the safety can-bus to allow users to identify if the safety devices in the field have been activated.

Concerned about the effectiveness of a conventional chemical spillkit, battery acid spillkits provide for the rapid neutralisation of the spilled battery acid.

Do you have a battery recharging area in your warehouse or factory with several batteries stored? Can you afford injury to your operatives from spilled battery acid? Are you taking reasonable preventative measures?

2,970 cases of personal injury resulting from spilled battery acid were reported in the UK in the year 2005, with heavy claims against employers.

Concerned about the effectiveness of a conventional chemical spillkit, Fosse Liquitrol has designed battery acid spillkits which provide for the rapid neutralisation of the spilled battery acid rendering it harmless, prior to its absorption by absorbent pads and cushions.

The neutralising agent has a colour indication system showing visually when the acid is completely neutralised and thus safe to handle.

The Battery Acid Spillkits, available in two sizes, come complete with appropriate personal protection equipment.

Fosse Liquitrol is a leading member of the Sorbents Manufacturing group of the British Safety Industry Federation and maintains a strong programme of product development.

Health and safety regulations have always been a 'minefield', writes Jim McCartney, and as rules are revised, it's hardly surprising that UK manufacturers are falling foul of them.

Health and safety regulations have always been a 'minefield', even for the savviest of organisations. And as rules are revised or changed, it's hardly surprising that manufacturers are falling foul of them either through lack of awareness or, in some cases, complacence. When anecdotal information indicated that this issue was particularly acute for small businesses, we commissioned research to explore the extent to which manufacturers were aware of health and safety legislation and its potential impact on their business.

The findings were fascinating and enabled us to identify where the needs for health and safety training might lie and to develop a clear understanding of employer and employee attitudes to health and safety in the UK.

Worryingly, we found that 80% of employees surveyed believed that up to a quarter (24%) of accidents in the workplace went unreported to line managers.

A further 14% of workers were not entirely confident that their workplace was safe, indicating a knowledge and communications gap in the industry.

But employees themselves could be part of the problem.

Given that nine in ten manufacturers surveyed claimed to take their HSE duties seriously, their efforts seemed to be hampered by employees who chose to turn a blind eye to real and potential accidents rather than report them.

This could be down to complacence, lack of understanding or simply not wanting to become involved.

However, all are breaches of health and safety regulations.

Yet ignoring health and safety at work is not a wise option for manufacturing businesses as some have discovered at their peril, suffering costly fines, imprisonment or the closure of their business.

The average fine for an HSE conviction in 2004-2005 was GBP 8,368, which many employers admit could damage their ability to trade.

Employers can even be prosecuted if an accident has not occurred.

In March 2005, Berkshire-based Bracknell Fireworks was fined GBP 28,000 by the Health and Safety Executive when inspectors found boxes of damaged fireworks leaking explosive material.

But this isn't the full extent of the issue - the onus on companies is set to increase if the proposed Corporate Manslaughter Bill is passed.

This will hold companies responsible if it is proved that fatalities have occurred on site as a result of gross negligence on the part of senior managers.

Our research findings found that almost half of employers surveyed had never heard of the proposed bill.

It isn't all doom and gloom - improved health and safety practices can pay dividends.

Enhancing workforce training and promoting a culture of continuous learning improves employee effectiveness and potentially the company's performance rates and standing in the industry.

At same time, employees who are continually trained and developed should become more motivated and confident in their job role, resulting in a reduction in staff turnover and an increase in the employee's faith in their safety at work.

And training needn't cost the earth.

As health and safety is such a priority in the UK, the cost of health and safety training is covered by the Learning and skills council (LSC) as part of its national 'Train to Gain' initiative to upskill the UK workforce.

Details of funding and local training providers can be found on the LSC's website www.lsc.gov.uk

In fact, addressing health and safety issues could even generate savings for businesses.

City and Guilds has joined up with Premier Line Insurance to give employers a 10% discount on their insurance if they enrol 15% of their workforce onto the new City and Guilds level 2 Certificate in 'Manufacturing Working Practices'.

The qualification also covers the HSE legal requirement to provide health and safety training for staff.

It's encouraging that small manufacturing businesses are already taking steps to prevent health and safety breaches by offering training to their staff, but there is always room for improvement.

Just a few hours each week could not only cover the legal obligation to offer health and safety training at work, but also improve workforce morale, confidence and productivity, A skills and knowledge audit amongst staff can easily identify the gaps in health and safety knowledge across the workforce, allowing employers to match training needs against the most appropriate courses and local training providers.

They can then prioritise training gaps and start upskilling staff for the benefit of their business.

Going forwards, small businesses can keep abreast of health and safety news by regularly logging onto the HSE website at

For more information on courses and local service providers, or for advice on how to make sure that your business is doing everything it can to promote health and safety in the workplace, visit the City and Guilds Web site.

A particleboard factory has used consultants to undertake a complete plant assessment to ensure compliance with PUWER 98 and detailed risk assessments on specific machines.

Norbord's South Molton particleboard factory has used consultants from Pilz Automation Technology to undertake a complete Plant Assessment to ensure compliance with PUWER 98. Following on from that, the consultants have also performed detailed risk assessments on specific machines, and conducted tests to establish the correct position of safety light curtains relative to hazardous machinery. Norbord is the UK's leading manufacturer of wood-based panel products, with a substantial particleboard facility at South Molton, Devon.

The company has been working closely with the Consultancy Division of Pilz Automation Technology to undertake an extensive assessment of the South Molton plant's machinery safety, followed by more detailed investigations and some remedial work.

Initially Norbord's own engineers had surveyed the plant and identified areas where they suspected equipment might not fully meet the requirements of PUWER 98 (the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations).

Norbord has used Pilz products - mainly safety relays - on its machinery for many years, and has grown to trust the advice given by Pilz.

Consequently the Norbord engineers readily accepted the recommendation for additional work and asked for Pilz consultants to undertake a complete Plant Assessment, giving an initial high-level overview of the issues on site.

A report was produced that highlighted items of equipment that needed attention, and ranked them, on a risk basis, so that Norbord could formulate an action plan.

Justin Smyth, the senior project engineer at Norbord, was very pleased with the consultants' report: 'In contrast with what we have received historically, the Pilz report was clear, concise and user-friendly.

It had just the right level of technical detail so that we could see exactly what subsections of the standards the equipment was failing to meet, and the report told us what we needed to do to rectify the situation.' On the strength of that first report, Pilz has continued working with Norbord on an ongoing basis.

One piece of work was a detailed assessment of a second-hand edge bander, and others have involved more detailed risk assessments of equipment identified as needing attention.

There is a wide range of work equipment and automation in use at Norbord, with EN 954-1 risk categories of 1, 2 and 3.

Areas of concern highlighted by Pilz have covered, for example, machinery guarding and compliant electrical interlocking.

One particular machine on which Norbord requested assistance from Pilz was being fitted with a safety light curtain.

Norbord had estimated a stop time and then worked out how far from the hazardous machinery to install the light curtain in accordance with the requirements of BS EN 999:1999 (Safety of machinery, The positioning of protective equipment in respect of approach speeds of parts of the human body).

Unfortunately this location for the light curtain was so far away that it would have been unworkable.

Pilz came on site with specialist equipment for measuring the actual stop performance of the machinery, and this showed that the time from the moment the light curtain was breached to the point at which the machinery became stationary was around 500ms.

Using this figure to calculate the safety distance enabled the light curtains to be positioned significantly closer to the machinery, which made the installation feasible.

Smyth concluded: 'Because we have limited experience in such a specialist field, it is very helpful to have the consultants readily available.

It also means that we can focus on our key strengths and ensuring production is achieved on schedule - while remaining fully confident that machinery safety is being properly attended to.

Most of all, though, we like the Pilz reports that tell us exactly what we need to know and what we need to do.

Benchmarking Pilz against other consultants that we use, on the basis of the quality of the output, the Pilz consultants are definitely good value for money.' Please contact Pilz to request more information about consultancy services, or visit the Web site.

Machinery safety specialist Fortress Interlocks has introduced an AS-interface (AS-i) control and safety base module for its eGard system.

Machinery safety specialist Fortress Interlocks has introduced an AS-interface (AS-i) control and safety base module for its eGard system, enabling eGard to be simply connected to an 'AS-i Safety at Work' control network in minutes. This provides significant time savings over other systems. eGard is a modular system that can control access to hazardous machinery, via gate switch and trapped key technology, and include simple machine or access controls such as push buttons, e-stops and lamps.

The AS-i base has two addresses: one for connecting the safety circuits and one for connecting the control I/O.

AS-i is a cable network system that allows machinery safety technology to operate in parallel with standard machine controls on a single network with a common communication protocol (Actuator Sensor Interface).

With the AS-i base module, installation of an eGard system on an AS-i network takes a matter of minutes from unpacking to commissioning.

The eGard modules are simply clipped together and the AS-i cable connected.

The extensive range of eGard modules enable the creation of an almost endless list of solutions.

The modularity also makes eGard extremely flexible, allowing quick addition or removal of modules (functions).

Compared to hardwiring it eliminates dual safety circuit cabling costs, provides comprehensive diagnostics and features patented error checking.

The AS-i base module features an LED status indicator and an AS-i standard 4 pin M12 quick connect fitting for connecting dual safety circuits and up to 4 inputs and outputs.

The AMS 200 is the very latest in distance measurement devices to be announced by Leuze Mayser and through the use of laser technology a hitherto unattainable accuracy of +/-3 millimetres is achieved.

The AMS 200 is the very latest in distance measurement devices to be announced by Leuze Mayser and through the use of laser technology a hitherto unattainable accuracy of +/-3 millimetres is achieved over the full measuring distance of 200 metres. Optical distance measurement based on the light propagation principle using red light laser is a tried-and-tested method for permanent position sensing of moving plant and machine parts such as rack handling systems, portal crane gantries, travelling trolleys or transfer bridges. Introduction of the new AMS 200 (Absolute Measuring System 200) sets new higher standards as regards positioning control, data transparency, handling and design, bringing improved repeatability and accuracy over longer distances.

The technology that makes the AMS 200 such a precision piece of engineering is contained in a modern housing design that contributes to easier installation, whether new or retrofit.

Much is attributed to the front-mounted display panel which shows actual measuring values, set parameters or warning messages.

And directly alongside the display are four menu selection buttons for greater convenience during initial set-up procedures including precise alignment.

Connectivity is also directly up-front with the AMS 200, the M12 sockets clearly visible for easy access, and only to be expected from a leading edge distance measurement device is supports for various bus interfaces.

Leuze Mayser distance measurement devices have been helping control the precise position of cranes and machinery for many years.

The AMS 200 joins a fully proven range but has the edge when it comes to a need for greater precision over longer distances.

Larger stock of instruments for health and safety assessments include toxic gas detectors, dust and particulate monitors, HVAC monitors and cleanroom technologies.

Health and safety instrument hire stock raised Larger stock of instruments for health and safety assessments include toxic gas detectors, dust and particulate monitors, HVAC monitors and cleanroom technologies. Ashtead Technology Rentals has announced an investment of over GBP 500,000 in health and safety instruments for hire. Ashtead's James Carlyle says 'Everybody's instrument storeroom just got bigger - there is no need for companies to buy new equipment, because we already have!' Most people think of renting when something they need is expensive and they are only likely to need it for a short period.

However, renting avoids ownership costs such as storage and maintenance, and provides flexible access to the most appropriate instruments for a time period to precisely meet the requirements.

Ashtead's fleet of instruments for health and safety assessments include toxic gas detectors, dust and particulate monitors, HVAC monitors, cleanroom technologies, and instruments for the measurement of noise and vibration.

All from world leading manufacturers such as RAE, MSA, Draeger, Thermo, Quest and Casella.

Ashtead customers are able to quickly identify the ideal instrument for their application either by calling an Ashtead engineer on 0845 270 2707 or typing a key word in the search box on www.ashtead-technology.com.

There is a growing awareness amongst employers that the misuse of alcohol and drugs at work can be a very serious hazard to users as well as their colleagues.

As UK government ministers consider a zero tolerance policy towards motorists who take drugs and drive, there is a growing awareness amongst employers that the misuse of alcohol and drugs at work can be a very serious hazard to users as well as their colleagues. As a result, more and more organisations are implementing a drugs and alcohol policy to guard against the consequences of misuse, but what defines misuse? Grendonstar, consultants specialising in the provision of drugs and alcohol misuse policies, has helped many blue chip companies to create a safer working environment whilst reducing the costs to their business that result from substance misuse.

In essence, Grendonstar defines misuse as the inability to carry out a job safely and accurately.

'Whether driving a fork lift, a delivery van or a company car,' explained Simon Truelove, consultant at Grendonstar.

'Employees can still be under the influence of alcohol the morning after a 'heavy' night before and their judgement and skills may be impaired.

Equally, someone who took drugs at the weekend could find that their reactions were a little slower on Monday morning or, perhaps, that they did not feel well enough to go to work at all.

In terms of their working life, their inability to carry out their job safely, if at all, could be the result of the use of illegal substances or, in the case of alcohol, overindulgence.' These thoughts are echoed on the NHS Plus website which states that the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs defines substance misuse as 'a condition which may cause an individual to experience social, psychological, physical or legal problems related to intoxication and / or regular excessive consumption, and / or dependence, as a consequence of their use of drugs or other chemical substances'.

In addition to their duty of care as employers, companies are recognising that misuse of these substances can lead to accidents as well as absence from work.

The statistics speak for themselves in that a regular drug user or alcohol misuser is 3.6 times more likely to be involved in an accident at work.

They are also three times more likely to have sick leave, five times more likely to claim compensation, can be 33% less productive and 10 times more likely to be late.

To help combat these effects, more and more organisations are now introducing welfare based substance misuse policies as part of an ongoing health and safety initiative.

Policies of this kind should be designed to combine staff welfare and employee welfare issues with the need to meet current health and safety legislation.

They should be positive in their approach and both educate and motivate staff whilst providing invaluable assistance to management.

The safety of all employees is obviously paramount and it is essential that employers exercise their duty of care.

The introduction of a policy to protect against misuse of alcohol and drugs in the workplace may well be the answer, but employers must be very careful.

Unless such a policy is introduced correctly, they may also fall foul of complex data protection legislation and the Human Rights Act.

As independent consultants with a successful track record in providing a total solution, Grendonstar advises a total solution, step-by-step process.

This should include assessment of the risks associated with drug and alcohol misuse within the business and an evaluation of current resources, culture and attitudes.

Following consultation at all levels, a corporate policy should then be developed and publicised.

As part of the process, a programme of awareness and training should be created for all employees, and all those with problems be encouraged to seek help.

Management training should be provided and, once implemented, the policy should be monitored and procedures amended on an ongoing basis.

Truelove explained, 'We help organisations to implement workable policies with everyone's full knowledge and cooperation.

If an employee has a problem, we work with them to help overcome it.

When handled positively and correctly, all employees recognise the benefits that such a policy can bring, not just to themselves but to their colleagues and the company as a whole.

As a result, far from being a frightening, overwhelming and negative experience, the policy can help provide a positive solution to a growing problem.' By adopting such a straightforward, easily implemented policy, a company can be sure that it not only addresses health, safety and legal issues in as positive a manner as possible but it will have access to information and assistance should it have cause for concern.

Of equal importance, it will also ensure that management is armed with the tools to confidently apply the policy fairly and consistently whilst retaining maximum emphasis on health and safety.

A series of light curtains can be used in L or T arrangements for muting in one or two directions, and customers can select the number of muting sensors.

Pilz is expanding its PSENopt family of safety light curtains, making it one of the most comprehensive ranges on the market. Taking into account the competitive prices and the fact that the company has the application expertise to advise customers on how best to use safety light curtains, Pilz should now be the 'first port of call' for customers considering installing safety light curtains on new machinery or older machines for reasons of safety or productivity. A new addition to the PSENopt range is a series of light curtains that can be used in L or T arrangements for muting in one or two directions, and customers can select the number of muting sensors.

Fixed and floating blanking can also be used with a number of the new models of light curtain.

Another exciting development is cascaded light curtains that can be used in a master-and-slave configuration.

This ensures full monitoring within the protected zone, with the light curtains mounted in such a way as to suit the machine's layout.

Compared with using multiple conventional light curtains, cascaded light curtains can be far more economical.

For small, localised plants, Pilz now offers cost-effective feedback loop monitoring in which contact expander modules or contactors are connected directly to the OSSD (output signal switching device) outputs.

Switch status is monitored via the feedback loop function.

The Pilz PSENopt range now meets virtually every requirement: Type 2 and Type 4 light curtains for finger, hand or body detection; cost-effective single-beam light barriers (and laser versions for ultra-fast response and distances of up to 40m); light curtains with muting and fixed/floating blanking; cascading light curtains; and light curtains for use with SafetyBUS p.

To complement these products, there is also an extensive range of accessories, plus Pilz can supply whatever monitoring devices are appropriate, including safety relays, PNOZmulti configurable safety controllers, and PSS programmable safety systems (safety PLCs).

If required, Pilz also offers application support and advice on product selection, as well as ESPE (electrosensitive protective equipment) inspections to ensure that light curtains cannot be defeated and that they are correctly positioned in relation to the mechanical hazards - for reasons of both safety and productivity.

Growing concern over the number of injuries and illness to call centre workers caused by 'acoustic shock' will be revealed at a conference next week.

Growing concern over the number of injuries and illness to call centre workers caused by 'acoustic shock' will be revealed at a conference next week. The second Acoustic Safety Conference, which takes place at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre in Glasgow on November 27-28, will also see the first keynote speech of Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) President Lisa Fowlie since taking the position earlier this month. Lisa will echo concerns raised in Parliament yesterday by the Liberal Democrat MP for Portsmouth South, Mike Hancock, and call for action to find a solution to the acoustic shock problem.

Lisa said: 'Acoustic shock is a pressing health and safety issue.

More research is badly needed to help find ways of controlling it and it is only by working in cooperation with call centres, health experts and health and safety bodies that we'll achieve this.

'I'm alarmed that incidents of acoustic shock, a sudden and unexpected noise that can be received through headphones or an earpiece, are on the increase.

It is something employers need to be aware of, because it's not a cheap business.

'So far, acoustic shock has led to GBP2.5 million being paid out in compensation to 700 people.

That's money that would be better spent elsewhere, and given that the number of cases of acoustic shock could rise in coming years, we need to act now to preserve people's health and to save money.' Around 300 further known cases are also pending and there are believed to be many more people who have experienced acoustic shock but do not realise it.

Over 900,000 people are employed in the call centre industry across the UK.

In a debate in Parliament yesterday (22 November), Mr Hancock highlighted concerns over what government action is being taken on acoustic shock, by asking John Hutton MP, the Secretary State of Work and Pensions, questions on the issue.

This included what equipment is installed to protect his department's call centre workers from acoustic shock and the number of incidents reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The Acoustic Safety Conference will be attended by professionals and managers working in call centre environments, and by health and safety advisers to call centre operators.

Easy system configuration or modification makes a safety controller more cost-effective that a traditional safety PLC for medium-complexity machines.

For medium-complexity machines, the Pilz PNOZmulti modular safety controller is far more cost-effective than using multiple safety relays or a traditional safety PLC. This is partly as a result of the reduced purchasing cost, but also due to the ease with which the configuration can be created or modified. Another advantage of the PNOZmulti, however, is its built-in diagnostics.

Version 5 of the PNOZmulti firmware and Configurator gained additional functionality for creating safety circuits utilising safety mats, safety gates with interlocks, pushbuttons, limit switches, key switches, foot switches and light curtains with muting functions.

Additional fault messages and remedies have also been added into the firmware to aid fault diagnosis and thereby reduce downtime.

For customers using versions 2, 3 or 4 of the PNOZmulti Configurator software with the version 5 firmware, Pilz is now offering free downloads of the additional message sets so that the diagnostic information can be interpreted.

Customers purchasing the PNOZmulti appreciate the way in which only one software licence has to be purchased and used to configure any number of PNOZmulti safety controllers.

However, the pace of development at Pilz has been so great that numerous customers purchased a version 2, 3 or 4 Configurator licence when they started using version 2, 3 or 4 PNOZmulti firmware, yet those customers are now using the same Configurator on version 5 PNOZmulti units they have recently purchased for new machines.

By downloading the new message sets from the Pilz website, these users will be able to connect a laptop PC to the PNOZmulti to interrogate the error stacks and, with the new message sets installed on the PC with the version 2, 3 or 4 Configurator, they can interpret the diagnostic information.

This will save time during both commissioning and troubleshooting.

The new message sets can be downloaded free of charge from the PNOZmulti Downloads page on the Pilz website.

The ATEX certified Evolution No Smoke self supporting extraction arm, providing possibly the best industrial extraction solution, has been launched by QD/Coral.

The ATEX certified Evolution No Smoke self supporting extraction arm, providing possibly the best industrial extraction solution, has been launched by QD/Coral. Complete removal of welding smoke, gas, vapours, aerosol, oil fumes and dusts has until now been difficult, particularly if customers require ATEX certified products, Evolution has changed the rules. It has been designed and built in full compliance with current laws relating to the work-place safety and the successful removal of hazardous fumes and polluting substances from the working environment.

Evolution extraction systems are available in a range of sizes from andOslash;100 - andOslash;200 with a 2.1 m - 4.2 m metre reach capability, and are ideally suited for environments that are highly corrosive.

Polluted air is drawn in through the jointed hood and passes through pipes made of sturdy sheet metal (zinc-plated, stainless steel, scratchproof enamelled mild steel, aluminium) to a high-efficiency fan or to a central piping system, and then onto the filtering unit used in the specific applications.

The pipes and the hood of the Evolution are coupled together by special external articulated joints and a low resistance flexible no-smoke pipe, allows easy and convenient movement of the arm.

Rotary bearings within the arms enable their rotation through 360o if installed on a special stand.

The flow of polluted air that passes through the suction duct created by the arm, is not therefore hindered by the internal joints or articulations and because all major mechanisms are externally mounted the suction capability is maximised, leading to reduced energy costs.

- 2 - Due to the reduced length of the hose used in the elbows, load losses are far lower than with other similar systems on the market.

Less load loss means: lower fan power, hence energy saving, lower air flow speed hence less noise.

Different working positions and environments demand varied performance.

The Evolution suction arm represents the ideal solution to this drawback as, thanks to the built-in adjustment shutter, it is possible to meter the amount of air to be entrained.

It is also possible to filter the polluted air using special optional filters supplied as accessories and recycle it back to the environment completely free of pollutants.

The total flexibility of the arm is combined with robust construction which eliminates the risk of damage when users attempt to bend the arm when using it in confined situations.

It is easily adapted to any fixed or mobile system and is self adjusting.

Commenting on the new product, Stuart Shepherd Marketing Manager of QD/Coral said: 'ATEX certified extractors are a positive addition to our range, and because of Evolution's sturdy design, we predict less maintenance, less repairs, and a lot less down time and process interruption for your money.'

Industrial safety specialist Castell Iso-lok has signed a premier distribution agreement with Brady, making it the only key distributor to focus solely on lock-out/tag-out equipment.

Industrial safety specialist Castell Iso-lok has signed a premier distribution agreement with Brady, making it the only key distributor to focus solely on lock-out/tag-out equipment. The agreement means that Castell Iso-lok's established range of lock-out/tag-out equipment will be extended to include Brady's products. The two companies will also share new product development resources and combine their market and product expertise to mutually grow their businesses.

Tim Hughes, Castell Iso-lok's UK Sales Manager, remarked, 'The agreement with Brady is a big step forward for the company, as it will enable us to increase our presence in the market and subsequently increase sales.' A brochure detailing the new product range will be in circulation within the next three months, and the company website will be updated to reflect the change.

Announcement expands adoption of EtherNet/IP in new markets and applications.

ODVA has announced that EtherNet/IP has been adopted by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of the People's Republic of China as a machinery industry standard for the People's Republic of China. This adoption will spur continued growth of this open industrial network's installed base - already exceeding 1 million nodes worldwide, and a projected growth in the double digit rates. EtherNet/IP is one of the most widely accepted network standards in the industrial arena, including approval from such organisations as the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and the corresponding European standards.

'This action, by one the world's leading technology countries, affirms the confidence that both industry and governments have placed in this proven network technology,' said Katherine Voss, executive director of ODVA.

'EtherNet/IP is a future-proof solution for automation applications'.

The Chinese economy is world's fourth largest in terms of gross domestic product, and is growing at more than 9 percent per year.

Nearly every major industry has a presence in China today.

The production growth rate across these industries currently averages around 29 percent per year.

ODVA's membership includes numerous multi-national companies with significant and expanding operations in China including Cisco Systems, Eaton Electrical, Omron and Rockwell Automation.

'Industry in China has expressed strong interest in EtherNet/IP for many automation applications,' states Cai Zhongyong, manager of ODVA activities in China.

'With the addition of EtherNet/IP and ControlNet as accepted standards in China, we will see adoption of CIP Networks continue to expand, EtherNet/IP in particular, throughout a wide variety of industries and include not only manufacturing but also process industries and infrastructure projects'.

EtherNet/IP is one of the network technologies that comprise the family of networks built on the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP).

The machinery industry standard for EtherNet/IP in China is recognised under the Chinese standard JB/T 10308.2-2006: Digital data communication for measurement and control - Fieldbus for use in industrial control systems.

ControlNet, another member of the family of CIP Networks, was also approved by the NDRC as a part of the China machinery industry standard.

These two open networking technologies join DeviceNet, the first member of the family of CIP Networks to obtain approval as a standard in China, when the devicenet technology was made part of the first Chinese national standard to encompass fieldbus technology - GB/T 18858: 'Low Voltage Switchgear and Controlgear Controller-Device Interface'.

'Standard unmodified Ethernet and Internet technologies will play a critical role in achieving continuous productivity improvement in automation applications and for integrating those applications with the enterprise,' said Voss.

'Approval of EtherNet/IP as an industry standard by the People's Republic of China will provide vendors and users with the assurance that an investment in EtherNet/IP will provide positive returns in today's global economy'.