The accredited FPS SAFESTOP Safety System offers a fully integrated suite of proactive and reactive safety solutions customised to the situation and engineered to reduce user error and safeguard staff like never before.  

Hydraulic systems are fundamental to the performance of many industrial and marine operations where precision motion and control are essential for manipulating mechanical components and systems.  

Now, FPS has harnessed this same precise regulation and control to deliver advanced safety measures to achieve new industry safety standards.  The SAFESTOP system can prevent potential harm to operators and protect the integrity of your operations.   

Designed and developed by FPS’ Gary Allen, a stalwart of the New Zealand hydraulic engineering industry and a highly respected design engineer, the SAFESTOP innovation is manufactured by FPS in Nelson, with customised systems being installed across various operating environments. SAFESTOP has been designed and manufactured to deliver on operational safety requirements and the technical demands of the system it is integrated with. 

Initially developed for the marine industry, the SAFESTOP system leverages FPS’ proprietary, accredited marine-grade technology for applications where corrosion is an issue.  

SAFESTOP MODULES 

SAFESTOP’s modules can be: 

• fully customised to suit your safety requirements  

• seamlessly integrated into both new and existing hydraulic systems 

• available in standard materials for below deck installations, or in other industrial situations where corrosion is not an issue, such as sawmills, food processing facilities and beyond.  

All systems are designed to be serviceable and easy to maintain. 

There are a variety of modules available that can go into a system, depending on what is required: 

SAFESTOP Hydraulic Position-Sensing Valve Modules preventing harm before it happens 

SAFESTOP Hydraulic Position-Sensing Valve Module offer a layer of protection, designed to prevent harm before it happens.  

Engineered to automatically shut down equipment when critical safety thresholds are breached, these intelligent valves act as a frontline defence against mechanical injury.  

If an operator opens an access point, the valve triggers an immediate hydraulic response, shutting down specified machinery. The system can be configured to stop a single machine, isolate a defined zone of equipment, or halt operations across an entire vessel, factory floor, or industrial site, giving you the control that you want. 

Built with dual modular redundancy, each unit ensures fail safe performance providing continuous protection.  

SAFESTOP Emergency Stop Modules - giving you the control 

SAFESTOP Emergency Stop Modules offer enhanced protection by integrating directly into your hydraulic system.  

These hydraulic emergency stop valves can function independently or be used in conjunction with traditional electric emergency stop switches. 

You decide the scope of the shutdown. Strategically positioned within your operation, each module can be configured to deactivate a single piece of equipment, a specific zone, or your entire system. To further enhance protection, the system includes intelligent safeguards.  

If an emergency stop triggers a full system shutdown, the system will not reset if a piece of equipment – such as a winch – was left in an active state when the shutdown occured. The system will remain locked until all controls are returned to a neutral or stop position. This prevents machinery from unexpectedly re-engaging, ensuring that operators remain in full control and staff are not exposed to unexpected movement.  

SAFESTOP Reset Module - restarting your machinery when you say go 

The SAFESTOP Reset Module is a critical safeguard within the overall SAFESTOP safety architecture with the Hydraulic Position-Sensing Valve Module or the Emergency Stop Module. 

It governs the reactivation of machinery, system or designated operational zone under its control, ensuring that machinery cannot be restarted until it is fully safe to do so.  

When paired with the Hydraulic Position-Sensing Valve Module or the Emergency Stop Module, the Reset Module governs the reactivation of the machinery, system or designated operational zone under its control.  

In the event of a shutdown – whether planned or triggered by a safety incident – the Reset Module prevents restart until all machinery controls have returned to a safe, neutral state. This intelligent safety interlock ensures that no equipment restarts unexpectedly.  

gSAFESTOP Reducer Module – maintaining controlled hydraulic pressure 

The SAFESTOP Reducer Module precisely maintains controlled hydraulic pressure within your safety system, ensuring reliable and consistent operation of all SAFESTOP components.  

In some configurations, FPS engineers may integrate existing pressure sources from other parts of the hydraulic system, such as pressure from active components already in operation. However, the dedicated Reducer Module is recommended for optimal control and reliability, particularly in complex or high-risk environments.  

SAFESTOP Sensing Modules – preventing machinery from unintentionally reactivating 

The SAFESTOP Sensing Modules work with the Reset Module to determine whether conditions are safe for the system to restart, providing real time feedback from various types of control valves throughout your operation.  

Designed to interface with a wide range of valve types including manual, electric, and hydraulic remote-controlled valves, each sensing module accurately detects the position and status of the equipment it monitors. By verifying that all components are in a safe, isolated state before a system restart, these modules prevent machinery from unintentionally reactivating.  

If a machine was left running at the time of an emergency stop, engine failure, or the opening of a guard or access panel, the sensing modules ensure that it cannot resume operation until all controls are returned to a safe condition.  

SAFESTOP Isolating Modules – restarting cannot be forced or bypassed 

The SAFESTOP Isolating Modules / Plunger Valves are integrated into each critical zone of your system, directly communicating with the Reset Module and Sensing Modules to enforce strict isolation protocols.  

By design, these modules physically isolate individual machines, operational zones or the entire hydraulic system. Isolating Modules ensure that a restart cannot be forced or bypassed. Every zone requiring controlled safety will be equipped with one of these modules. Their intelligent design includes dual modular redundancy so if one valve fails, a secondary valve guarantees a safe system shutdown under any circumstance. 

Early adopters 

Working with then-Engineering Manager Darren Brown, Sanford were the early adopters of this technology. Darren had tried mechanical stops and electronic stops, but found they didn’t do a very good job and failed in the saltwater environment. So, FPS installed their advanced safety measures across the fleet. And SAFESTOP has recently been installed on the Vanguard, which is a mussel harvester owned by MacLab and skippered by Stoney Bourke. Stoney calls it the “Rolls Royce of safety systems.” 

“We looked for the best system on the market that we could find. They covered all the bases of safety on the Vanguard. From day one we had no issues and it worked straight away. I feel a lot better, I can sleep at night knowing that they put the safety system on the boat,” he says. 

Available exclusively from FPS.  

Contact Brent Brown to discuss a custom SAFESTOP solution tailored to your safety needs. Email brent@fluidpower.co.nz or call (+64) 3 548 4850 EXT 105.  

Learn more at www.fluidpower.co.nz/services/safe-stop-system-design