Official Release | Analysis and Countermeasures for Mechanical Industry Production Safety Accidents in 2024

Translation: Recently, the National Emergency Management Ministry released an operational update titled 'Analysis of Workplace Accidents in the Machinery Industry for 2024,' exposing the severe safety situation and typical hazards in the current machinery manufacturing sector.

Let's take a look at the detailed report content together!

The machinery industry is a fundamental and strategic industry in manufacturing, providing technical equipment for the development of the national economy, defense industry, and people's livelihood. It is of great significance in supporting the country's manufacturing capacity and comprehensive national strength.

Basic information

1.Overall situation of the accident

In 2024, there were a total of 312 production safety accidents (excluding fires, special equipment, and gas) in the machinery industry, resulting in 300 deaths. Among them, there was 1 major accident with 8 deaths, and 311 general accidents with 292 deaths.

Compared with 2023, the total number of accidents increased by 2 and the death toll increased by 6, with year-on-year increases of 0.6% and 2.0%, respectively.

2. Industry distribution

According to the Classification of National Economic Industries (GB/T 4754-2017), the top three industries with the highest number of production safety accidents among the nine sub sectors of machinery in 2024 are general equipment manufacturing, automobile manufacturing, and specialized equipment manufacturing. These three industries have a total of 239 accidents and 226 deaths, accounting for 76.6% and 75.3% of the total number of accidents, respectively.

3.Accident type situation

According to the 'Classification of Occupational Injuries and Fatalities in Enterprises' (GB/T 6441-1986), the top five accidents in the mechanical industry in 2024 are mechanical injuries, object strikes, falls from heights, electric shock, and other injuries. These five types of accidents resulted in a total of 267 incidents and 245 deaths, accounting for 85.6% and 81.7% of the total number of accidents.

4. Process distribution

In 2024, there were a total of 182 accidents and 174 deaths in the main production processes, accounting for 58.3% and 58.0% of the total number of accidents; There were a total of 130 accidents and 126 deaths in the auxiliary process, accounting for 41.7% and 42.0% of the total number of accidents.

The top three processes in the main production process are metal cutting, which resulted in 48 accidents and 52 deaths; 32 accidents occurred during the casting process, resulting in 30 deaths; 28 accidents occurred during the assembly process, resulting in 26 deaths.

There were 70 accidents and 69 deaths during maintenance and repair operations in the auxiliary process, accounting for 22.4% and 23.0% of the total number of accidents. Among the types of accidents in maintenance and repair operations, there were 25 mechanical injury accidents, accounting for 35.7% of the total number of accidents; There were 13 incidents of electric shock injuries, accounting for 18.6% of the total number of accidents; There were 11 incidents of falling from heights and object strikes, accounting for 15.7% of the total number of accidents.

Main problems and risk challenges

One is that the risk control of dust explosion in aluminum magnesium metal products is not in place

Aluminum magnesium alloy is widely used in industries such as mobile phones, computers, and automobiles. With the rapid development of new processes and technologies, the dust generated during the polishing and grinding process of aluminum magnesium products poses a high risk of explosion. Some enterprises have weak awareness of dust explosion prevention, design defects in safety equipment related to dust removal systems, and non-standard measures for explosion control such as venting, explosion suppression, and inerting. In particular, some enterprises' wet dust removal systems operate in a 'dry' manner, and the work site and equipment facilities are not cleaned in a timely manner, resulting in a large amount of dust accumulation and easily causing mass casualties.

Secondly, there is a high incidence of mechanical injury accidents

From the perspective of accident types in 2024, there were 124 mechanical injury accidents resulting in 115 deaths. Some mechanical enterprises have a low level of automation in their equipment, and there are defects or inadequate maintenance in the safety protection devices of old punching machines, presses, machine tools, and other equipment, which can easily lead to mechanical injuries. In addition, with the large-scale promotion and application of automation and intelligent devices such as robots and robotic arms, the identification and control of new risks such as human-computer interaction, functional safety, and network security are not in place, bringing new challenges to safety production work.

Thirdly, precise control is urgently needed for casting and metal cutting processing

In 2024, there were 80 accidents and 82 deaths in the casting and metal cutting processes. The inherent safety measures of the melting equipment, such as burning through the refractory lining of the furnace body, condensation of the melting liquid surface, and collision of the ladle with people, are out of control. The protective measures, such as illegal removal of protective devices or lack of interlocking devices, are not in place. Unauthorized entry into the working area of the robotic arm has led to frequent casting accidents. Inadequate protection of mechanical and electrical equipment, failure or absence of interlocking and emergency stop devices, and ineffective control of hazardous energy can easily lead to metal cutting accidents such as mechanical entanglement or crushing injuries.

The fourth issue is the inadequate prevention and control of safety risks in maintenance and repair operations

In 2024, there were 70 accidents and 69 deaths in the inspection and maintenance process. There are often temporary and cross operation situations in maintenance and repair operations, and a detailed operation plan is not formulated before the operation, resulting in frequent violations during the operation process. The inadequate implementation of control measures for potential hazardous energy such as mechanical energy, electrical energy, and pneumatic hydraulic energy in equipment has resulted in a high proportion of maintenance and repair accidents.

The risks associated with new energy power lithium batteries cannot be ignored

New energy power lithium batteries have been rapidly and widely used in the machinery industry, especially in the rapid development of the new energy vehicle industry. However, there are problems such as lithium battery storage buildings not meeting requirements, excessive storage or lack of information security monitoring devices, failure to transport lithium batteries by designated vehicles, inadequate investigation of hidden dangers in battery packaging and distribution, and insufficient emergency response capabilities.

Next steps

One is to strengthen the risk prevention and control of metal dust explosions

Promote metal dust enterprises to strictly implement the 'Safety Regulations for Dust Explosion Prevention in Industrial and Trade Enterprises' (Order No. 6 of the Ministry of Emergency Management), conduct inspections and rectification in strict accordance with the criteria for determining major accident hazards, and ensure that risk control measures for key links such as buildings, dust removal systems, electrical equipment, and dust cleaning in dust explosion hazardous areas are implemented in place. Vigorously promote the construction and application of safety production risk monitoring and early warning systems in metal dust enterprises, effectively achieving real-time risk monitoring, intelligent judgment, and timely disposal.

The second is to effectively control the safety risks of key processes

In response to high-risk processes such as casting, forging, and metal cutting in the mechanical industry where accidents are concentrated, we will promote enterprises to establish a system of self inspection and self correction of hidden dangers and internal reporting rewards, and continuously deepen the dynamic clearance of major hidden dangers. Conduct process risk analysis for high-risk processes and human-machine interaction areas, refine process control measures, and improve the functional safety and reliability of safety protection systems. Strengthen the intelligent safety assessment of industrial robots and automated production lines, as well as the intrinsic safety control of new equipment deployment.

Thirdly, strengthen the process safety management of inspection and maintenance operations

Promote enterprises to improve safety technical solutions for maintenance and repair operations, strengthen safety education and training for operators, enhance personnel safety awareness, and strengthen personnel safety operation capabilities. Promote safety control measures to prevent accidental release of hazardous energy and ensure that authorized personnel can carry out related operations. For high-risk operations such as high-altitude work and temporary electricity use involved in the maintenance and repair process, strict approval procedures shall be followed.

The fourth is to enhance the level of equipment automation and intelligence

In conjunction with the transformation and upgrading of the machinery industry, we urge enterprises to fully identify and evaluate equipment and facility safety risks, gradually phase out high-risk equipment and facilities, and upgrade existing equipment and facilities with automation and intelligent technology. Regarding the use of equipment and facilities, strengthen the safety management of in-service equipment and facilities, eliminate unsafe behaviors such as dismantling, damaging or shielding safety protection facilities, and improve the intrinsic safety level of equipment.

Fifth, strengthen the risk research and control of new energy vehicle power lithium batteries

Organize research on the accident mechanism and safety control technology of new energy vehicle power lithium batteries, fully identify the risks of different types of power lithium batteries during transportation, storage, installation, and other processes. Urge enterprises to strengthen the investigation of hidden dangers in the assembly process of new energy vehicle power lithium batteries, enhance emergency response capabilities, and ensure the safety of personnel operations.

It is not difficult to see from the report released above that high-risk operations such as mechanical injuries and object strikes have become the 'hardest hit areas' of safety production accidents, while the lack of protective devices and illegal operations are still the main causes.

In the face of this severe challenge, Bytorent targets the safety pain points of the machinery industry and helps it achieve a leap from 'passive rectification' to 'active prevention'!

Bytorent Security Protection Solution

In the era of Industry 4.0, mechanical safety is facing new challenges: high-speed equipment requires more reliable protection, and flexible production lines require more intelligent safety solutions.

Bytorent's safety protection solution, based on international standards such as ISO 13849, includes core products such as safety relays and safety interlock switches. It not only effectively prevents risks such as mechanical injuries and electrical failures, but also adapts to the flexible production needs of Industry 4.0, safeguarding personnel and equipment safety with higher standards.

1.Safety relay

As the core control unit of mechanical safety protection systems, Bytorent safety relays are widely used in industrial scenarios with strict safety requirements, such as injection molding machines, CNC machine tools, press/hydraulic machines, filling machinery, packaging machinery, sorting machinery, etc., due to their excellent safety performance and intelligent design. They provide comprehensive safety protection for high-risk operating environments.

The entire series of products adopts a dual channel redundant architecture design, combined with real-time self diagnostic technology, which can detect and handle system faults in milliseconds, ensuring that the safety protection mechanism responds immediately, effectively preventing harmful actions caused by human violations, poor contact, and equipment aging, and timely protecting equipment and personnel safety.

The product complies with the PLe standard of ISO13849-1 and the SiL3 standard of IEC 62061, and innovatively integrates the advantages of fully functional configurable dip switches, visual input and output LED status indicators, and flexible automatic/manual reset levers, helping users quickly identify hidden dangers and protect production safety.

2.Safety interlock switch

The Bytorent safety interlock switch adopts a sturdy and durable mechanical structure and reliable electrical design, ensuring that the equipment is forcibly isolated in dangerous states, thereby reducing human operation risks and equipment failure rates, effectively preventing safety production accidents.

Oxon-T3: All metal head, 304 stainless steel components, can rotate in four directions, multi angle installation; Equipped with a mandatory mechanical interlock self detection structure and integrated manual unlocking device, it has extremely high reliability.

Oxon-W1: All metal body, stainless steel components, head can rotate in four directions, multi angle installation; Locking force greater than 3000N, equipped with 3 forced mechanical contacts; Single opening mechanical code key, in compliance with LOTO's technical requirements.

Guard-M1: Compact size, rotatable head, suitable for multiple installation positions; Capable of multiple functions such as electromagnetic locking or mechanical locking; Adopting 304 stainless steel lock core and insert key, the shell material is V0 grade flame-retardant high-performance engineering plastic.

Monit-G1: petite size, head can rotate in four directions for installation; Using high-strength and wear-resistant engineering plastic, with built-in stainless steel components; Equipped with forced contact and dual channel output, triggered by mechanical interlocking structure.

Bytorent safety interlock switches are widely used in automated production lines, robot production lines, hazardous testing areas, and isolation sites. Together with safety doors, safety windows, and various safety action components, they build a highly reliable safety control system.

3. Safety light curtain

Bytorent Safety Light Curtain is a high-performance protective equipment designed specifically for industrial safety production. Its core feature is the use of high-precision infrared optoelectronic technology to achieve real-time monitoring of non-contact hazardous areas. The protection height can reach 150mm-1800mm, with a response time of less than 28ms, ensuring that the equipment will immediately trigger a shutdown in case of personnel or foreign object intrusion, ensuring production safety.

The Bytorent GM series safety light curtain can be widely used in all hazardous equipment requiring personal protection zones, such as automated production lines, warehousing and logistics, mechanical equipment and tools, and the automotive industry. It is an ideal solution for the mechanical industry to balance production efficiency and personal safety.

4.Non contact safety switch

The Shield EN series of non-contact safety switches from Bytorent is designed and developed specifically for compact applications. Due to its flexibility and safety, it is widely used in injection molding machines, CNC machine tools, packaging machinery, filling machinery AGV、 Industrial fields such as robots, elevators, intelligent forklifts, and wind power.

All products in the entire series have passed the IP69K ultra-high protection level certification, which can withstand the effects of high-pressure water flushing and extreme temperatures (-25 ℃~+90 ℃), and can maintain stable operation even under harsh working conditions.

The core advantage of the Shield EN Door God series lies in the use of contactless triggering technology, which fundamentally eliminates the reliability degradation problem caused by physical wear and aging of traditional mechanical switches.

This innovative design not only extends the service life of the equipment, but also ensures the safe start stop control of industrial equipment in harsh environments, significantly improving the overall safety and reliability of the production system.

In the machinery industry where machines roar and production is busy, safety is not an option, but an insurmountable red line. Every violation, every missing protective device, and every lax management can become the trigger for a major accident.

As the responsible entity for safety production, enterprises must deeply recognize that only by integrating safety concepts into the entire production process can they truly achieve a win-win situation between high-quality development and employee well-being.

Bytorent is committed to providing high reliability and strong compliance safety protection solutions for the machinery industry, from risk assessment to intelligent protection, ensuring that no protection is absent and protecting your production safety throughout the process.

If you have any needs regarding the product or solution, please feel free to call 0755-26002677 or send an email to ask@bytorent.net We will wholeheartedly provide you with assistance!