Safety · Free
Machine Safety: ISO 12100, ISO 13849 and SISTEMA
Do the whole machine safety job, not one vendor's part of it: an ISO 12100 risk assessment, guards and interlocks, light curtains with a checked safety distance, the required performance level, a category 3 or 4 design, MTTFd, DCavg and CCF, PL verification in the free SISTEMA tool, validation to ISO 13849-2, IEC 62061 compared, and the technical file the EU Machinery Regulation 2023/1230 expects from 20 January 2027.
Inside the course
From the lessons
Why machines injure people, and the laws and standards that govern them
Trondheim Consulting AS
Guards and interlocking devices: ISO 14120 and ISO 14119
NHP Electrical Engineering Products
Safety functions, the safety requirements specification and PLr
SchmersalUSA
Reliability: MTTFd, B10d, DCavg, CCF and the PL achieved
Walterconsulting
Emergency stop, stop categories and IEC 62061 compared
Machinery Safety Academy - Pilz UK
Safety controllers, safe drives and muting
Machinery Safety Academy - Pilz UK
Lesson frames belong to the creators named in the Credits below and are shown from YouTube.
What you will learn
Carry out an ISO 12100 risk assessment with machine limits, hazards, risk estimation and the three-step method; choose guards and interlocking devices to ISO 14120 and ISO 14119; calculate light-curtain safety distances to ISO 13855:2024; specify safety functions and determine PLr from the risk graph; choose a category and calculate MTTFd from B10d, DCavg and CCF; verify the PL in SISTEMA and read its report; choose stop categories and compare IEC 62061 with ISO 13849-1; plan and record validation to ISO 13849-2; apply safe drive functions and muting; and assemble the technical documentation and declaration that the EU Machinery Regulation 2023/1230 requires, with the US and UK routes compared.
- Carry out an ISO 12100 risk assessment task by task and apply the three-step method in order
- Choose fixed guards, interlocks and guard locking, and the ISO 14119 device type and coding level
- Calculate light-curtain safety distances to ISO 13855:2024 from measured stopping times
- Write safety functions and set PLr from the risk graph, with a reason for each choice
- Choose a category and work out MTTFd from B10d, T10d, DCavg, CCF and the PL achieved
- Model safety functions in the free SISTEMA tool and read and file its report
- Choose stop categories and drive functions (STO, SS1, SLS) and compare IEC 62061 with ISO 13849-1
- Validate to ISO 13849-2 and assemble the technical file for the EU Machinery Regulation 2023/1230
For you
Taking Machine Safety: ISO 12100, ISO 13849 and SISTEMA from the United States
- Free in the United States, as everywhere, and self-paced: lessons, notes and the final assessment are open at any hour, so your time zone and shift pattern do not matter.
- The optional certificate for learners in the United States is a one-off US$28.99. What you get for it
- Plants across the Americas most often run Allen-Bradley, Siemens and Inductive Automation; each has its own free course to take next.
- See automation and engineering jobs in the United States, and what the industry looks like in Houston, Detroit and Chicago.
- EDWartens also has a regional site for the United States, for classroom training and local support: edwartens.com/us.
The course project · about 14 hours
Making an assembly cell safe: risk assessment, safety functions to PL d and e, SISTEMA and validation
Take a clamping and press-fit assembly cell from risk assessment to a validated design: specify six safety functions with their PLr, design the guard-door function in category 3, verify every function's PL in SISTEMA, calculate the light-curtain distance from measured stopping times, and write the validation record and the technical-file index. The sample pack shows each document for a cell built near Turin, Italy.
Sample document pack, 5 documents, filled in for the scenario
- Risk registerRisk assessment register: assembly cell AC1
- SRSSafety requirements specification: assembly cell AC1
- ReportPL verification report: assembly cell AC1 (SISTEMA summary)
- Test reportValidation record: safety functions SF1 to SF6
- RegisterTechnical documentation index and draft EU declaration of conformity
Read inside the course and download as a workbook. The project is optional practice, marked when you submit it; the certificate needs only the modules and the final assessment.
Course content
14 modules · 28 lessons · 13h 27m
In order, at whatever pace suits you. Each module ends with a practice task that builds on the last.
- 01Why machines injure people, and the laws and standards that govern them4 lessons36m
- 02ISO 12100 risk assessment: limits, hazards, risk estimation and the three-step method3 lessons1h 8m
- 03Guards and interlocking devices: ISO 14120 and ISO 141192 lessons1h 21m
- 04Light curtains, scanners and mats: safety distance to ISO 138552 lessons1h 24m
- 05Safety functions, the safety requirements specification and PLr2 lessons55m
- 06ISO 13849-1 architectures: categories B, 1, 2, 3 and 42 lessons59m
- 07Reliability: MTTFd, B10d, DCavg, CCF and the PL achieved2 lessons1h 7m
- 08SISTEMA: model a safety function, verify the PL and print the report2 lessons42m
Requirements
- Who it is for
- Intermediate. For controls, electrical and mechanical design engineers at machine builders, system integrators and plants, and maintenance engineers who modify guarding. You should be able to read a control circuit and use a spreadsheet; no functional safety experience is needed.
- Software
- SISTEMA from the German IFA (free for commercial, teaching and private use, Windows) and a spreadsheet. Manufacturers' SISTEMA libraries are free downloads. No PLC or vendor safety software is needed. What to download, and how
- Hardware
- None. A Windows PC or a Windows virtual machine for SISTEMA.
Software you need
What to download, where from, what it costs and how to install it. Every link goes to the maker's own site, never a mirror.
SISTEMA is used from MSF8 onward and in the project; any spreadsheet does the hand calculations in MSF2 to MSF7. On a Mac, run SISTEMA in a Windows virtual machine.
Required
- 01Free
SISTEMA
IFA, Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV)
- Runs on
- Windows 7, 10 or 11; on a Mac or Linux PC, run it in a Windows virtual machine
- Account
- None needed
- Size
- ZIP download of about 45 MB
SISTEMA is made available free of charge by the IFA for commercial, teaching and private use, at the user's own risk. Version 3.x implements ISO 13849-1:2023; projects from version 2.x are converted when opened and no longer open in 2.x.
Steps
- 1.Open the SISTEMA page on the IFA (DGUV) website.
- 2.Download the current version (a ZIP file) and unzip it.
- 3.Run the installer and start SISTEMA.
- 4.Download the libraries of the safety-component makers you use from their own websites, and load them in SISTEMA.
- 5.Keep a copy of any version 2 project before opening it in version 3.
- The IFA also publishes the SISTEMA manual and a report on the functional safety of machine controls; both are worth downloading with the program.
Official download pagedguv.de
Optional
Useful, not needed to finish the course.
- 02Free
LibreOffice
The Document Foundation
- Runs on
- Windows 10 or 11, macOS 11 or newer (Intel or Apple silicon), Linux
- Account
- None needed
- Size
- up to 1.5 GB of disk space on Windows
LibreOffice is free, open-source software under the Mozilla Public License 2.0, for any use including business. Calc is its spreadsheet.
Steps
- 1.Open the LibreOffice download page.
- 2.Check the page has picked your operating system, then select Download.
- 3.Run the installer (administrator rights are needed on Windows).
- 4.Start LibreOffice Calc for spreadsheet work.
- 5.Save as .xlsx if you need to share files with Excel users.
- Choose the latest main version unless your organisation asks for the older, more conservative release.
Official download pagelibreoffice.org
Checked against each maker's own page on 27 September 2026. Trial lengths and editions change; the maker's page is the final word.
Machine Safety: ISO 12100, ISO 13849 and SISTEMA at a glance
Machine Safety: ISO 12100, ISO 13849 and SISTEMA is a free, self-paced online course from EDWartens for controls, electrical and mechanical design engineers at machine builders, system integrators and plants worldwide, and maintenance engineers who modify guarding. It has 14 modules and 13h 27m of video lessons by Machinery Safety Academy - Pilz UK, NHP Electrical Engineering Products, SchmersalUSA and others, with written notes and worked problems, a practical project with a document pack and a 15-question final assessment (pass mark 60%). Learning is free with an account; an optional certificate with a public verification code is issued when you pass. Last updated 27 September 2026.
All course factsHide course facts
- Price
- Free, for good. No trial, no card. The only paid item is the optional certificate, a small one-off fee.
- Who it is for
- Controls, electrical and mechanical design engineers at machine builders, system integrators and plants worldwide, and maintenance engineers who modify guarding
- Format
- 14 self-paced modules, 13h 27m of video, written notes, a practice task per module and one final assessment.
- Level
- Intermediate. Intermediate. For controls, electrical and mechanical design engineers at machine builders, system integrators and plants, and maintenance engineers who modify guarding. You should be able to read a control circuit and use a spreadsheet; no functional safety experience is needed.
- Brand
- Vendor-neutral
- Software
- SISTEMA from the German IFA (free for commercial, teaching and private use, Windows) and a spreadsheet. Manufacturers' SISTEMA libraries are free downloads. No PLC or vendor safety software is needed.
- Hardware
- None. A Windows PC or a Windows virtual machine for SISTEMA.
- Certificate
- Optional EDWartens Certificate of Completion, verifiable by code. Not a vendor credential.
- Video lessons by
- Machinery Safety Academy - Pilz UK, NHP Electrical Engineering Products, SchmersalUSA, exida, Trondheim Consulting AS, RS DesignSpark, EPLAN in a Nutshell, Pennsylvania OSHA Consultation, Compliance Gate, ControlX Automation, HYDAC Australia & New Zealand, Walterconsulting, Andrew Ricker, Phoenix Contact Technical, InstMC, Yaskawa America - Drives & Motion Division, Banner Engineering (independent creators, credited below)
- Language
- English
- Last updated
- 27 September 2026
A shareable EDWartens certificate
Finish every module and pass the final assessment, and the optional EDWartens certificate is yours. It carries a unique verification code on a public page anyone can check, so it stands up when a recruiter looks it up. See it below.
The course itself stays free whether or not you ever buy one.
Stuck? Ask a practising engineer
A free course usually means a comment section and hope. This one does not. Every module has an Ask-your-trainer panel that reaches the same engineers who teach our paid programme: people who commission panels for a living, not moderators.
Pairs well with
FreeSafety · FreeSiemens Safety Integrated: S7-1500F and S7-1200F in TIA PortalFunctional safety on Siemens hardware: F-CPUs and F-modules, creating an F-project, PROFIsafe addresses, safe inputs 1oo1 and 1oo2, safe outputs and wiring, E-stop, safety door, two-hand, feedback monitoring, operating modes, global acknowledgement, a complete cell example and G120 drive safety.
FreeSafety · FreeAllen-Bradley GuardLogix Safety and CompactLogix 5380Rockwell machinery safety from the Safebook to the safety signature: machinery safety principles and safety relays, light curtains, cable-pull switches and laser scanners, GuardLink smart safety, GuardLogix with a SafeZone laser scanner, safety produce/consume, signatures and version control, and the CompactLogix 5380 with Compact 5000 I/O.
FreePLC programming · FreeSiemens TIA PortalFrom zero electrical knowledge to a working, simulated S7-1200 program, for nothing.
FreePLC programming · FreeSiemens TIA Portal in Three HoursThe first three hours of the Siemens TIA Portal course, cut to end on a win: what a PLC is, how it is wired, a project configured in TIA Portal, and your first ladder program running in simulation. Finish it in an evening or two, earn a certificate, and carry straight on into the full course.More free courses: Free machine safety courses
Learner reviews
No reviews yet
Reviews here are written only by learners who have finished every module of Machine Safety: ISO 12100, ISO 13849 and SISTEMA, and they are published exactly as written. Finish the course and yours will be the first.
Common questions
Who is this machine safety course for?
Controls, electrical and mechanical design engineers at machine builders and system integrators, plant engineers who buy or modify machines, and maintenance engineers who change guarding. It teaches the whole job in a vendor-neutral way, from risk assessment to the technical file.
Is the course free to learn?
Yes. Every module, the notes, the worked problems, the project and the final assessment are free, and SISTEMA is free from the IFA for commercial, teaching and private use. The certificate is optional.
Does it teach ISO 13849-1:2023 or the 2015 edition?
The 2023 edition, which SISTEMA 3 follows: subsystems, the extended safety requirements specification, the new software clause and the revised way of judging P. The notes point out what changed from 2015, because many machines in service were designed to it.
Do I need SISTEMA or any vendor safety software?
SISTEMA, which runs on Windows (or a Windows virtual machine), and a spreadsheet. No safety PLC or vendor software is needed. Programming Siemens or Allen-Bradley safety controllers is covered by our separate vendor courses; this course gives the requirements those programs must meet.
Is it relevant outside Europe?
Yes. ISO 12100 and ISO 13849-1 are used worldwide, and a module compares the EU route with the US (OSHA, ANSI B11, NFPA 79), the UK, Canada and other regions. National laws such as Australia's WHS laws and Brazil's NR-12 set the employer's duties, and builders who export to Europe or the US design to the buyer's market rules.
How long does the Machine Safety: ISO 12100, ISO 13849 and SISTEMA course take?
About 20 hours of video, notes and practice at your own pace, of which about 13.5 hours is video. The optional assembly-cell project takes about 14 hours more.
Does this course make me able to CE-mark a machine or sign off safety?
No. It teaches the principles and structure of the standards and the law in its own words. Real machines are governed by the law where they are used, the current editions of the standards and a competent person's judgement.
What certificate does the Machine Safety: ISO 12100, ISO 13849 and SISTEMA course give?
An EDWartens certificate of completion, issued when you finish the modules and pass the 15-question final at 60 percent, with a number anyone can verify on our site. It is not a TÜV functional safety or CMSE certification and is not affiliated with the IFA, ISO, IEC or Pilz; it covers knowledge that those programmes also expect.
What you walk away with
Your certificate for Machine Safety: ISO 12100, ISO 13849 and SISTEMA
Finish the course, pass the final, and this is the document with your name on it.
Verifiable by anyone
Adds to LinkedIn in one click
QR code on the certificate
Names what you can do
A permanent link
Earned, not attended
Learning is free. The certificate is optional.
Add it now and pay only when you have finished the course, or come back for it later. One-off, US$28.99, with a receipt.
Issued by EDWartens, the training division of Wartens, as a Certificate of Completion for this self-paced course. Sold by Wartens Ltd (England and Wales). It is not a vendor certification, a university award or a CPD-accredited activity, and it does not certify competence on live equipment. Delivered electronically; see the refund policy.
Credits
Who made the video lessons
The video lessons in this course were created by the people below, not by EDWartens. Every lesson streams from its creator's own YouTube channel; EDWartens neither hosts nor sells that footage, and the creators are not affiliated with EDWartens and do not endorse this course. What EDWartens wrote is the study plan, the notes, the practice tasks and the assessments.
- Machinery Safety Academy - Pilz UKthe webinars on the new version of ISO 14119, ISO 13855 and safe distances, the 2023 edition of ISO 13849-1, ISO 13850 emergency stop, IEC 61800-5-2 safe motion and the EU Machinery Regulation
- NHP Electrical Engineering Productsthe webinars on interlock switches, presence-sensing devices and safety monitoring relays
- SchmersalUSAperformance levels, the webinar on why machine safety is not complete without validation, and applying ISO 13849 to machines in the USA
- exidathe overview of IEC 62061 and ISO 13849, and the safety lifecycle recap in the final module
- Trondheim Consulting ASthe five-minute introduction to machine safety and the full ISO 12100 risk assessment and risk reduction course
- RS DesignSparkrisk assessment to ISO 12100:2010
- EPLAN in a Nutshellthe difference between hazard and risk in ISO 12100
- Pennsylvania OSHA Consultationmachine guarding as US employers are expected to apply it
- Compliance Gatethe tutorial on Regulation (EU) 2023/1230
- ControlX AutomationISO 13849 safety categories and performance levels explained
- HYDAC Australia & New Zealandsafety integrity and performance level for hydraulic machines
- WalterconsultingISO 13849 explained: MTTFd, diagnostic coverage, CCF and the PL
- Andrew RickerSISTEMA explained for beginners
- Phoenix Contact Technicala risk assessment and PL verification worked in SISTEMA
- InstMCdevelopments in IEC 62061 and ISO 13849
- Yaskawa America - Drives & Motion Divisionwhat Safe Torque Off is and is not
- Banner Engineeringlight-curtain muting
If you are one of these creators and would like a lesson removed or credited differently, write to info@wartens.com.