A safety-interlock is a mechanical, electrical, or software mechanism that enforces a condition prerequisite to equipment or system operation: the device or logic checks for the presence of specified safety conditions (guards in place, pressure within limits, permissions granted) before allowing activation, and actively blocks or disables operation if any condition is unsatisfied. It persists through engineered hardware (physical key switches, limit sensors, mechanical linkages), firmware-enforced logic (PLC interlock routines), or regulatory-mandated control sequences that cannot be bypassed without intentional override. Unlike a safety device that responds to a hazard after it occurs, an interlock prevents the hazardous condition from arising by constraining the sequence of operations. [formal: interlockum | substrate: matter | horizon: a moment | explicit: yes | epoch: 0.01]
Accepted ontology entry
safety-interlock
A safety-interlock is a mechanical, electrical, or software mechanism that enforces a condition prerequisite to equipment or system operation: the device or logic checks for the presence of specified safety conditions (guards in place, pre…
Definition
Why it is in scope
Human-made mechanical, electrical, or software mechanism designed to prevent the operation of equipment or a system unless specified safety conditions are satisfied. Built as a physical or logical constraint to block unsafe states — e.g. a door switch that disables a washing machine drum, a pressure relief valve that opens automatically, or a software permission check that prevents unauthorized control commands. Persists through engineered hardware circuits, firmware logic, or regulatory-mandated control sequences.
Names and aliases
- safety-interlocken · CANONICAL
Relations from this entry
- cms8qd8ma01rq73fkrvtfsjo0SERVES →
Safety-interlocks are mechanical or electronic devices designed to prevent equipment operation until safe conditions are confirmed. Their designed purpose is to serve safety-instrumented-systems by providing hard-wired fail-safes that enforce safe states independently of control system logic. Law 8d: for whose sake? The interlock serves the SIS.
- cms8comye00gt73fkl26ui8mdDERIVED_FROM →
Safety-interlock as a design practice was derived from safety-engineering: engineers developed interlock mechanisms as part of the engineering discipline to prevent unsafe operations. Which-came-first: safety-engineering as a discipline predates specific interlock implementations.
- cms8zrlnh02qk73fknpw19lyiSERVES →
Safety interlock is a device designed for the sake of hazard mitigation — it prevents equipment operation until safety conditions are satisfied, thereby preventing harm. The designed purpose (Law 8d) is to further hazard mitigation: servant (safety-interlock) points at master (hazard-mitigation).
Relations to this entry
No accepted relations in this direction.
Record identity
- Created
- Jul 31, 2026, 11:34 AM UTC
- Content hash
- 786c6afeb1133df16fd68c28db74fd20a7b5f6931129e713e9c29827866886c5