Access & Operator Safety

Control who may operate the machine, and in which mode

Machine safety assumes the person at the controls is trained and authorised for what they are about to do. Identification and access management makes that assumption explicit — establishing who the operator is, what they are permitted to do, and which operating mode the machine will accept.

RFID authentication Access permission Safe operating-mode selection the PIT range

Discuss Access Management Compare Access Routes

PL dStated for selected devices

SIL CL 2Stated for selected devices

RFIDTransponder key based

Pilz identification and access management products including PITgatebox and PITreader

the PIT rangeIdentification and access management products

IdentifyWho is at the machine

PermitWhat they may do

AccessHow they enter safely

OperateWhich mode is allowed

By operator workflow

Follow the operator, not the product list

These products are organised around what the operator is doing: proving identity, receiving permission, entering the machine and selecting a mode. Each step has a different device.

Identification

The operator presents an RFID transponder key so the machine knows who is present, rather than relying on a shared physical key.

Permission

Stored permissions determine what this person may do on this machine, and permissions can be withdrawn without collecting hardware.

Guard access

A request to enter is made at the gate, and the guard is released only when the machine state and the permission both allow it.

Machine commands

Start, stop and reset commands are issued locally, so the operator is not walking between the access point and a remote panel.

Operating mode

The selected mode changes which safety functions are active, so the selection itself has to be functionally safe.

Sign out

Removing the key ends the session, so a machine is not left in a permissive state after the person has walked away.

Identification

Who is the operator

PITreader

An RFID-based authentication device forming the basis of the identification and access management platform, so machine access is tied to a person rather than to a key that anyone can carry.

RFID transponder key identifies the individual operator
Permissions are held and checked rather than assumed
Used standalone or with supported safety control architectures
Part of a combined Safety and Security concept

Best fitMachines where training level determines what a person may do.

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Gate operation

Commands at the gate

PITgatebox

A pushbutton unit for operating safety gate switches and systems, available with PITreader integration so permissions are checked before the command is accepted.

Controls safety gate switches and systems flexibly
PITreader integration adds user authentication
User permissions checked via RFID transponder
Places request, stop and reset commands at the access point

Best fitGuarded cells where entry is requested at the door itself.

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Operating mode

Which mode is permitted

PITmode

An operating mode selection and access permission system that brings Safety and Security functions together, enabling functionally safe operating mode selection.

Combines access permission with operating-mode selection
Enables functionally safe operating mode selection
Stated for applications up to PL d
Mode-dependent safety functions must be specified per machine

Best fitMachines with distinct automatic, setup and maintenance modes.

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Operator device Pilz PITestop emergency stop control device on a machine operator panel

Stop command

PITestop

Emergency stop and control devices for the machine operator interface. The device issues the command; the safety function is completed by the evaluation and output stages behind it.

Emergency stop pushbuttons and operator control devices
Mounted at the operator interface and access points
Evaluated through a suitable safety relay or controller
Confirm the current device range for the application

Best fitOperator stations and access points needing a local stop command.

Access selection

Match the technology to the operator problem

Most requirements start as a management concern — unauthorised operation, undocumented entry, or modes left selected — and resolve into a specific device.

Operator problem	What is actually needed	Safety route	Architecture note
Anyone can operate the machine	Identify the individual	PITreader	Authentication alone is not a safety function.
Untrained staff enter the cell	Permission before entry	PITgatebox with PITreader	Guard release still governed by the safety controller.
Operators walk to a remote panel to reset	Local commands at the gate	PITgatebox	Reset must remain outside the hazardous area.
Setup mode is used for production	Controlled mode selection	PITmode	Mode changes which safety functions are active.
Mode selector key is shared or copied	Permission tied to a person	PITmode with PITreader	Permissions can be revoked centrally.
No record of who entered the machine	Traceable access	PITreader-based architecture	Confirm the data and record-keeping arrangement.

Access management does not replace the safety controller. Identification and permission decide whether an action is allowed. The safety function itself — detection, safe evaluation, safe output and machine response — remains the responsibility of the safety architecture.

Applications

Access management is applied

These situations usually arise after an incident, an audit finding, or a persistent habit of defeating a guard for convenience.

Operator signing in at a machine with a Pilz transponder key

Shift start

Authorised operation

The machine accepts commands only from a person whose stored permissions cover the task, replacing the shared key kept in a drawer.

Typical routePITreader at the operator station.

Technician working inside a machine following authorised guard access

Maintenance entry

Controlled machine access

Entry for cleaning, clearing a blockage or maintenance, where the guard should open only for staff trained for that task.

Typical routePITgatebox with PITreader ahead of the guard device.

Safe operating mode selection on a machine using Pilz access management

Mode discipline

Setup mode kept for setup

Where setup mode reduces protection to allow adjustment, the ability to select it is restricted to people permitted to work in that mode.

Typical routePITmode with defined mode-dependent safety functions.

Before selection or quotation

Engineering prerequisites

Access management is an organisational decision as much as a hardware one. The permission model has to exist before the devices are specified.

People and permissions

Which roles exist, and what each is permitted to do
How permissions are issued, changed and revoked
Who administers the system, and from where
Whether contractors and temporary staff are included

Machine and modes

Which operating modes exist and what each permits
Which safety functions change between modes
Existing safety controller and spare capacity
Target performance level for mode selection, if determined

Access points

Number of doors, panels and operator stations
Which commands are needed at each point
Existing guard devices and locking arrangement
Mounting position, reach and visibility

Records and IT

Whether entry and mode changes must be recorded
Where records are stored and who reviews them
Network, certificate and remote-access arrangements
Behaviour expected if the network is unavailable

Related systems

Permission sits alongside the safety function

The operator is identified, a permission is checked and a mode is selected — then the safety controller decides whether the machine may actually move. The two layers stay distinct and are validated separately.

PITreader identifies the operator

Permission and mode established

PITgatebox requests guard access

Guard locking releases when safe

Safety controller evaluates the function

Machine responds within its safe state

Authorised maintenance access to a guarded machine

Modernising an existing machine?Retrofit routes across the complete safety portfolio, including what can justifiably remain in place, are set out inMachine Safety Retrofit & Modernisation.