SESAutomation & Control

Safety, Robotics & Hazardous Areas

Selective, practical support

Use the panels below to see where SES fits best and how we approach safety-critical automation.

Talk to us about a project

Selective, practical support

Use the panels below to see where SES fits best and how we approach safety-critical automation.

Functional safety, robotics safety and hazardous-area design can quickly become abstract, paperwork-heavy and disconnected from what actually happens on the plant floor. SES takes a different approach.

We only take on work where our practical, controls-led perspective genuinely adds value. That means SES is a good fit when you need:

  • A second pair of eyes on a safety-critical process, skid or robotic cell.
  • Someone who can translate standards and intent into logic, I/O and sequences that are actually workable.
  • A partner who understands how operators use equipment — and how design decisions affect reliability, usability and uptime.
  • Clear, realistic guidance that aligns with site constraints, real equipment, and what PLCs, robots and instrumentation can actually deliver.

If you need engineering-first support that bridges the gap between standards and the real world, this is where SES fits best.

Our work sits at the intersection of controls, instrumentation, robotics and hazardous-area compliance. We focus on what makes a system predictable, defendable and easy for operators to use.

Here’s how we typically work:

  • Start with the real plant: signals, I/O, machine behaviour, operator tasks and environmental constraints.
  • Translate SIL / PL intent, OEM manuals, ATEX requirements and HAZOP actions into achievable control strategies.
  • Build interlocks, cause-and-effect, alarm behaviours and fail-safe modes with clarity and testability in mind.
  • Validate safety-related logic against what operators will actually experience on HMIs and on the plant floor.
  • Integrate robotics, conveyors, tooling and upstream/downstream systems without creating nuisance trips or unsafe behaviours.
  • Work alongside specialist SIL/ATEX consultants when required — ensuring the control and integration layer is robust, traceable and implementable.

Our aim is simple: designs that behave predictably every day, not just on paper.

Functional Safety — practical support where it matters

  • Reviewing safety-instrumented functions for plausibility, testability and completeness.
  • Translating SIL / PL targets into workable I/O, reset logic, mode control and fail-safe behaviour.
  • Validating cause-and-effect matrices against expected operator actions and real sequences.
  • Preparing controls content for HAZOP / HAZID workshops and closing out actions.

Robotic Cell Safety — dependable layouts and logic

  • Guarding design, interlocks, access points and safe-distance considerations.
  • Safe stop, reset, mode-selection and recovery logic using PLCs or safety relays.
  • Integration of robots with conveyors, packaging lines and upstream/downstream automation.

ATEX & Hazardous-Area Design — compliance grounded in reality

  • Equipment selection, zoning alignment and cable routing that match real plant practice.
  • Review of panel layouts, glands, segregation, earthing and documentation.
  • Support working with hazardous-area inspectors and equipment suppliers.

Across all three areas, SES provides the engineering detail that keeps systems safe, predictable and easy to live with.

Need support?

Not sure what level of support you need? We can help you figure it out.