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by defrost 1317 days ago
> There was a Big Red Button acting as a physical power cut-out.

> Request was to remove the physical button and rely only on a software (touch screen). Death was a remote harm, but moderate injury / user stuck in device / panic attack was plausible.

Good on you for not removing it.

I work sometimes in mineral processing (above ground | below ground) with conveyor belts, crushers, etc.

Big easy physical power cutouts are everywhere:

Conveyors have "rip cords" running alongside, pull them and you can stop a 30 tonne/hour conveyor maybe before someone drawn into the rollers is crushed to death or maimed.

Crushers | screens | most big equipment has single OFF knife switch with "gang plates" that take multiple padlocks - if you and two others work inside a crusher you each put a lock (three in total) through the gang plates and nobody gets to restart the machin until everybody is out and has removed their padlock.

Big physical switches save lives.