Safexpert – 
The software for
risk assessment

Safexpert provides structured guidance through the analysis of hazardous situations and helps users consider hazards not only in terms of their effects (mechanical hazards, electrical hazards, substances, ergonomics, etc.), but also across intended use, life-cycle phases and reasonably foreseeable misuse. EN ISO 12100 and the new Machinery Regulation require precisely this systematic approach.

In predecessor standards to EN ISO 12100 and in the former Machinery Directive 98/37/EC, the term “hazard analysis” was used; this was later changed to “risk assessment”. Today, hazard analysis forms part of the risk assessment process. A complete risk assessment also includes risk estimation, risk evaluation, and the definition and documentation of appropriate risk reduction measures.

With Safexpert, documentation is generated as an integral part of the engineering process rather than as a separate, subsequent administrative task. This makes the risk assessment easier to trace during acceptance procedures and audits, as well as in the event of objections raised by experts or investigators.

Yes. Safexpert allows users to create their own templates and reuse measures and hazardous situations from previous projects. This helps designers save time while producing consistent, standards-compliant documentation.

Risk assessment software offers significant advantages over Excel or Word. Hazards, risk evaluations, protective measures, references to standards and documentation are managed centrally. Changes remain traceable, templates can be reused, and update checks help ensure standards-compliant documentation in accordance with EN ISO 12100.

Yes. Safexpert provides plausibility checks and automatic update checks, helping designers to reduce errors and achieve greater legal certainty.

Safexpert supports multi-user working, allowing several people to work simultaneously on risk assessments and CE documentation without the file conflicts commonly associated with Word and Excel. It also includes roles and permissions to control who is authorised to perform specific tasks, enabling internal responsibilities to be mapped directly within the system.

The Enterprise edition, designed particularly for larger companies and service providers, also allows access to projects to be differentiated by individual users or departments. A comprehensive change history ensures that it is always clear who made which changes. In addition, an integrated task management system and the “Project Logs” function help teams organise their collaboration efficiently and transparently.

Yes. The use of templates, reusable content and centralised project management makes Safexpert particularly well suited to standardised machine types.

No, ideally not only at the end. In practice, risk assessments are often carried out too late. They are most effective when they accompany the design process.

Safexpert is not a wizard that you have to click through in one go, but primarily an engineering tool that you can use alongside the product development process. This can range from an initial overview of the risks associated with your machine – which may already be relevant when determining the price – through to the detailed specification of individual risk reduction measures.

How you use Safexpert is entirely up to you. Of course, you can also use Safexpert in later stages of development to document decisions that have already been made.

Yes. Information on residual hazards and related instructions can be transferred from the risk assessment in Safexpert to the instructions for use.

Safexpert provides dedicated reports and export functions for this purpose, as well as an “Instructions for Use Assistant”. This allows you to assign information on residual hazards directly from the risk assessment to the appropriate chapters of a supplied instructions-for-use template based on IEC 82079-1.

Safexpert also provides an interface to the SCHEMA ST4 content management system.

Yes. In Safexpert, you can record which standards have been applied as part of the risk assessment, while the CE project provides a consolidated overview of all relevant standards.

When standards change, you can identify within seconds which projects – and even which individual measures within those projects – are affected. The “Change Assistant” then helps you update the relevant projects quickly and efficiently.

Yes. Safexpert is designed to be easy, quick and intuitive to get started with, and a web presentation and demo are available to help you familiarise yourself with the software. Formal training is not essential, as the comprehensive help system provides detailed explanations of all areas of the software.

Yes. IBF Solutions offers a web presentation, a demo version, a dedicated support and FAQ page, and user training.

Both. A structured risk assessment not only fulfils documentation requirements, but also helps to develop safe machinery more efficiently and avoid unnecessary over-documentation.

No. Neither legislation nor standards specify which system must be used to carry out risk assessments. However, due to its widespread use in industry, Safexpert enjoys a high level of acceptance and is also used by a number of certification bodies.

No. The software does not replace the designer’s professional judgement, but supports the standards-compliant implementation and documentation of the risk assessment.

Risk assessment software such as Safexpert is suitable for virtually all machinery, systems and technical products for which a risk assessment is required. It supports both individual machines and complex installations. Templates and reusable solutions make it particularly efficient to assess recurring machine types and produce standards-compliant documentation.